Depression May Increase the Risk for Later Autoimmune Disorders

Pre-existing autoimmune disorders have been associated with higher rates of depression. These authors used Danish nationwide registries to examine the risk for development of autoimmune disorders in people with pre-existing depression.

Participants were 145,217 individuals with a primary diagnosis of major depression (not bipolar disorder); each was matched on sex, age, and place of residence with six other people without a record of depression. Individuals with a prior history of any autoimmune disorder were excluded. The total study population was 1,016,519 individuals (mean age, 47; women, 64%). A significantly higher percentage of the depression group than the control group had a psychiatric diagnosis apart from depression (60% vs. 10%).…