Major depressive disorder (MDD) is not only a leading cause of disability on its own, but this psychiatric condition often occurs in conjunction with, and worsens outcomes associated with, physical diseases. Whether this is due to shared genetic risk—and, if so, to what extent and for which conditions—was a question researchers from U-M’s Medical School, College of LSA, and School of Public Health explored.
Using data from more than 46,000 participants in the Michigan Genomics Initiative (MGI), the researchers performed a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) to test for associations between a genome-wide polygenic risk score for MDD and other medical and psychiatric traits. They observed associations with a range of conditions, such as respiratory, digestive, neurological, and urinary-system conditions, cancers, and other mental disorders. The results are published in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
. . .
“Prior research has found that individuals who experience depression are at elevated risk for not only other mental-health conditions, but also physical-health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, and cancer,” said senior author Leah Richmond-Rakerd, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology.
. . .
MGI’s linking of clinical with genetic data was key for this research. “MGI is an incredibly valuable resource,” said author Srijan Sen MD, PhD, director of the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg and Family Depression Center and co-lead of the PROMPT Precision Health Study.
. . .
Read the full article in U-M Precision Health
