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Study depression and anxiety significantly increase the risk of cancer death
Depression and anxiety often affect the physical health of those affected. Researchers have now found that mental illness increases one-third of the risk of death from some forms of cancer.
A team of scientists from University College London, Edinburgh University and the University of Sydney found in his research that depression and anxiety massively increase the likelihood of cancer death. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Depression itself is already a heavy burden for those affected. Physicians have now discovered that anxiety and depression also increase the risk of people dying from cancer. (Image: Africa Studio / fotolia.com) One in ten people in the UK with fears and depression
In the UK alone, about one in every ten people suffers from anxiety or depression at some point in their lives, say the authors. The new research is now investigating for the first time the effects of mental illness on mortality in colon, prostate and pancreatic cancer, the experts report.
Depressed people often move too little and smoke and drink more often
One reason for the increased death rate, for example, could be that depression makes it more likely for those affected to start smoking or drinking, the medical profession speculates. In addition, most sufferers of depression would have too little exercise.
Emotional distress can affect immune functions
Fearful and depressed people die more frequently from cancer. This effect suggests that unhappiness and dissatisfaction weaken the body's defense system against the disease. Emotional distress may impair immune function and damage DNA repair, say the authors.
Depressed people are rarely treated properly
Depression can also cause people not to participate in screening for cancer screening. In addition, the occurrence of anxiety and depression often prevent that sick people even begin a proper treatment, the experts report.
Fears and depression increase the risk of dying of cancer by 32 percent
In the study, the physicians reviewed the data from 16 different studies. These contained data from more than 163,000 people from the UK. The researchers found that anxiety and depression increase the risk of death from cancer by 32 percent. This result was independent of the age, sex, education, weight and status of those affected. Smoking and alcohol consumption had no influence.
Mortality rate significantly increased in some forms of cancer
After statistical control of these factors, the results showed that the mortality rate was significantly increased in the most strained group in cancers of the intestine, prostate, pancreas, esophagus, and in leukemia, compared to the control group.
Period of almost ten years medically supervised
The subjects were medically monitored for almost a decade. With the help of questionnaires, they should assess whether they were anxious or depressed. For some types of cancer, mental well-being was as important to the mortality rate as the influence of obesity or smoking, say the experts.
People with depression and anxiety often neglect their health
People with mental health problems often neglect their health. That could be an explanation for the increased death rate in colon, pancreatic and esophageal cancer, the scientists suspect. All of these illnesses are related to the lifestyle of those affected. These types of cancer can worsen when people with mental health problems move inappropriately or eat unhealthily and over-the-food, scientists point out.
Depression released hormone could affect mortality in cancer
Prostate cancer is another form of cancer that leads to increased mortality rates in people with emotional problems. Prostate cancer is associated with a particular hormone. The increased mortality rate could be influenced by the so-called stress hormone cortisol, which is increasingly released in depression, the doctors say. The hormone could reduce the body's DNA repair and immune response, making it harder for the body to fight off the cancer. These physical effects could affect the risk for all types of cancer, by targeting the body's natural defenses, the physicians warn.
Fears and depression increase the risk of heart disease and strokes
The negative effects of mental health problems on the human body have already been demonstrated by previous studies. These showed, for example, that people with neurotic or conscientious personality types are more likely to get sick. Anxiety and depression have already been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, the researchers add.
Further research is needed
Our findings help to recognize that poor mental health has some predictive power for certain physical illnesses. However, further research is needed to establish a true causal relationship, say the authors of the study. (As)