A recent study found that women carry genetic factors that make them more susceptible to depression than men, which can partly explain why this condition is more frequent among women. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, reported that researchers had investigated DNA samples from nearly half a million people and found that the number of genetic “signals” related to women’s depression is twice the number in men. “We already know that the risk of depression in women is twice that of men,” Dr. Brittany Mitchell, a researcher at the Qimr Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia, said in a statement. She added: “So far, not enough research has been done to explain why depression affects women and men differently, including the possible role of genetic factors.” The study team has identified about 7,000 DNA changes that can cause depression in both sexes, and about 6,000 other DNA changes that can only cause depression in women. The researchers also found that the genetic factors associated with depression more overlap with genes for metabolic properties in women compared to men, explaining that these differences can help explain why women suffer with depression to metabolic symptoms, such as weight changes or varying levels of activity or physical and mental vitality. The researchers believe that most medicine trials and treatments focus on men, and they hope that their work will contribute to a deeper understanding of depression in women. The researchers concluded: “These results underline the importance of considering gender -specific genetic factors in the study of health conditions, including severe depressive disorder, which paves the way for more exact treatment strategies.”
Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men
