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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Tomatheus on April 10, 2012, at 7:45:00
I thought that I would post this article for anyone who's interested in learning more about the role that telomeres may play in depressive disorders and other psychiatric disorders. Telomeres are strands on the ends of chromosomes that tend to shorten with age, and several studies have found short telomere length to be correlated with depressive disorders. I actually touched on the relationship between telomeres and depression in a Psycho-Babble post that I wrote less than a week ago, and I think that this article explains in greater depth some of the research that's been done on the role that telomeres may play in depressive disorders. So, if you're interested, check it out:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304587704577333941351135910.html
Tomatheus
Posted by SLS on April 10, 2012, at 8:32:09
In reply to Article on telomere length in depression, posted by Tomatheus on April 10, 2012, at 7:45:00
> I thought that I would post this article for anyone who's interested in learning more about the role that telomeres may play in depressive disorders and other psychiatric disorders. Telomeres are strands on the ends of chromosomes that tend to shorten with age, and several studies have found short telomere length to be correlated with depressive disorders. I actually touched on the relationship between telomeres and depression in a Psycho-Babble post that I wrote less than a week ago, and I think that this article explains in greater depth some of the research that's been done on the role that telomeres may play in depressive disorders. So, if you're interested, check it out:
>
> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304587704577333941351135910.html
>
> Tomatheus
Much thanks.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on April 10, 2012, at 10:48:05
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » Tomatheus, posted by SLS on April 10, 2012, at 8:32:09
Thank you!!!! Phillipa
Posted by sigismund on April 10, 2012, at 15:09:36
In reply to Article on telomere length in depression, posted by Tomatheus on April 10, 2012, at 7:45:00
Very interesting.
Thank you.
Posted by Tomatheus on April 10, 2012, at 21:30:06
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression, posted by sigismund on April 10, 2012, at 15:09:36
Posted by linkadge on April 11, 2012, at 14:56:47
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression, posted by sigismund on April 10, 2012, at 15:09:36
I would assume that the depresson causes the shortening vs. the other way around.
Linkadge
Posted by Tomatheus on April 11, 2012, at 16:18:11
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression, posted by linkadge on April 11, 2012, at 14:56:47
> I would assume that the depresson causes the shortening vs. the other way around.
>Linkadge,
I think that you could be right. One of the studies that examined the relationship between telomere length and depression (Wolkowitz et al., 2011) found telomere length to be inversely correlated with lifetime depression exposure. Another study (Elvsashagen et al., 2011) found the "load of short telomeres" to be associated with the lifetime number of depressive episodes in patients with bipolar II disorder. The authors of the first study that I cited concluded: "These preliminary data indicate that accelerated aging at the level of leukocyte telomeres is proportional to lifetime exposure to MDD. This might be related to cumulative exposure to oxidative stress and inflammation in MDD. This suggest that telomere shortening does not antedate depression and is not an intrinsic feature. Rather, telomere shortening may progress in proportion to lifetime depression exposure."
Tomatheus
==
REFERENCES
Elvsashagen, T., Vera, E., Boen, E., Bratlie, J., Andreassen, O.A., Josefsen, D., et al. (2011). The load of short telomeres is increased and associated with the lifetime number of depressive episodes in bipolar II disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 135, 43-50. Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880373
Wolkowitz, O.M., Mellon, S.H., Epel, E.S., Lin, J., Dhabhar, F.S., Su, Y., et al. (2011). Leukocyte telomere length in major depression: Correlations with chronicity, inflammation and oxidative stress - preliminary findings. PLoS One, 6, e17837. Abstract: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0017837
Posted by sigismund on April 11, 2012, at 16:22:52
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » linkadge, posted by Tomatheus on April 11, 2012, at 16:18:11
Died of a broken heart kind of thing.
Posted by Tomatheus on April 11, 2012, at 17:08:49
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression, posted by sigismund on April 11, 2012, at 16:22:52
> Died of a broken heart kind of thing.
Yes, that's certainly one way to describe it. If Wolkowitz et al. (2011) are onto something with the findings of the study that I cited in my previous post, then it very well may be that time spent depressed (whether it's from a broken heart, something else, or a combination of a broken heart and something else) accelerates the aging process.
Tomatheus
Posted by SLS on April 11, 2012, at 17:13:00
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » linkadge, posted by Tomatheus on April 11, 2012, at 16:18:11
The next step in telomere shortening might be the premature evolution of Alzheimer's Dementia (AD). MDD and BD carry with them an increased risk of AD. This is one of the reasons that I have decided to take lithium long-term. Lithium seems to confer a protective effect against AD.
- Scott
Posted by Tomatheus on April 11, 2012, at 18:11:14
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression, posted by SLS on April 11, 2012, at 17:13:00
Scott,
I think that what you suggest with respect to telomeres and Alzheimer's disease is an interesting possibility. I've started taking TA-65 regularly again, albeit at a lower dose than what I tried taking initially, and right now it seems to be helping with my concentration and hypersomnia but not helping so much with my energy, psychomotor retardation, and anhedonia. I can't say for sure how I'll respond to the supplement in the long term, but it could be that activating telomerase is benefiting me cognitively, which would be consistent with what you suggested with respect to telomeres and Alzheimer's disease.
I'm not sure how much research there is into the role that telomere length may play in Alzheimer's disease, but I think that it makes sense that there could be a relationship between the two variables. I'll have to do a little bit of reading on the role that telomere length may play in Alzheimer's.
Tomatheus
Posted by sigismund on April 12, 2012, at 15:46:28
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » SLS, posted by Tomatheus on April 11, 2012, at 18:11:14
Oh, you are taking that thing which is derived from astragalus but which cannot be replicated by taking large amounts of the stuff. I always wondered why not.
Posted by sigismund on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:56
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » SLS, posted by Tomatheus on April 11, 2012, at 18:11:14
How does it affect your sleep?
Since you suffer from hypersomnnia (that sounds like fun to me, but maybe not) you are up the other end to me.
Posted by Tomatheus on April 12, 2012, at 18:51:19
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » Tomatheus, posted by sigismund on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:56
Sigismund,
The main thing that the TA-65 seems to do sleep wise is help me wake up earlier. I've been sleeping from around 1 to 7 a.m. as of late and haven't had the problem of falling asleep and waking up later and later with each passing day like I was for a while. The TA-65 might be helping to reduce my need for sleep a little too much, but I don't mind getting six hours of sleep a night instead of seven or eight hours. I do feel somewhat sleepier during the day than I did before I started taking TA-65, but the sleepiness is mild, and I think it's worth feeling a bit sleepy to experience the benefits that I'm experiencing now.
I will say that even though the TA-65 seems to be reducing my need for sleep and helping me to wake up earlier, it isn't making it any harder for me to initiate sleep or causing me to wake up more during the night. If anything, I actually find falling asleep to be somewhat easier now that I'm taking TA-65, compared with how things were before I started taking the supplement.
How would you characterize your insomnia? Do you have trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, problems with waking up too early, or a combination of these problems? Have you found any of the treatments that you've tried for your insomnia to be at all helpful?
Tomatheus
Posted by Phillipa on April 12, 2012, at 20:33:56
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » Tomatheus, posted by sigismund on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:56
Really should have 8 hours of sleep for health. Phillipa
Posted by sigismund on April 22, 2012, at 6:05:00
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » sigismund, posted by Tomatheus on April 12, 2012, at 18:51:19
>How would you characterize your insomnia? Do you have trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, problems with waking up too early, or a combination of these problems?
I get to sleep easily enough but tend to wake after 3 or 4 hours and from then on sleep is light or not there.
>Have you found any of the treatments that you've tried for your insomnia to be at all helpful?Yes.
I took gabapentin for a couple of years. I have just stopped that because my PSA shot up over that period and that with the anecdotal reports of gabapentin causing pancreatic cancer made me cautious.
I am currently taking trimipramine for sleep, one third of a 50mg capsule a night, somewhere around 15mg. It is very good for deepening sleep, and unusually I get to dream. Easily the best thing for sleep for me.
Posted by Tomatheus on April 22, 2012, at 9:40:21
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » Tomatheus, posted by sigismund on April 22, 2012, at 6:05:00
Sigismund,
I'm glad that the trimipramine is serving you well, and I hope that you continue to benefit from it. I don't think that I'd recommend taking TA-65 for your insomnia by any means -- I'd stick with what works.
Tomatheus
Posted by Phillipa on April 22, 2012, at 20:46:47
In reply to Re: Article on telomere length in depression » Tomatheus, posted by sigismund on April 22, 2012, at 6:05:00
Gabapentin is now on the FDA's watch drug list. I posted it. PJ
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