There is a link between damage to the small blood vessels and symptoms of depression, such as a gloomy mood, insomnia and loss of interest and pleasure. This is evident from research at Maastricht UMC +.
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The study was recently published in the science journal Hypertension.
Relationship
Studies in nearly 3,000 people showed that the reduced function of blood vessels was linked to an increased risk of developing symptoms of depression. The symptoms were determined using a questionnaire. Even if age, gender, blood pressure or smoking behavior are taken into account, there is still an agreement between the blood vessels and the development of symptoms of depression.
Four years
For almost four years, the Maastricht researchers followed people between the ages of 40 and 75 who had little or no symptoms of depression at the start of the study. The functions of their small blood vessels have been mapped: in the skin, in the eye and with biomarkers from the blood. Biomarkers are biological markers that can indicate that someone is sick.
According to the Maastricht hospital, the research is special. Damage to large vessels is relatively easy to determine, but mapping the function of the capillaries is much more difficult. Research is done with advanced equipment. It therefore costs a lot of time and money.
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