“Since the use of antidepressants has increased greatly in recent years and since older women are also at risk for cardiovascular disease, a team of researchers from several academic medical centers examined the link between antidepressant use and cardiovascular disease in such patients.”

…Their findings are not conclusive but may signify a need for additional attention to patients’ cardiovascular risk factors

“The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) of the National Institutes of Health followed more than 160,000 postmenopausal U.S. women for up to 15 years, examining risk factors for and potential preventive measures against cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis. For the current study, the research team began with data from more than 136,000 WHI participants who were not taking antidepressant drugs when they entered the study. At their first follow-up visit, either one or three years after study entry, about 5,500 of those women reported currently taking an antidepressant. The research team compared that group’s subsequent history of cardiovascular disease with that of participants who had not started taking antidepressants.”

“Women participating in the Women’s Health Initiative study who reported taking an antidepressant drug had a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of stroke and of death compared with participants not taking antidepressants. The authors of a report in the December 14 Archives of Internal Medicine note that their findings are not conclusive but may signify a need for additional attention to patients’ cardiovascular risk factors.” Via Harvard Research

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Seasonal Affective Disorder is an often overlooked condition because people tend to think that it makes sense to be down during the stressful, cold holidays. While holiday misery is never far off for those of us who have to interact with other human beings on a daily basis, SAD is something different altogether and people are becoming increasingly aware of its prevalence. A different type of depression that follows a seasonal cycle, SAD has two different sets of characteristics:

Winter depression

• Depression
• Hopelessness
• Anxiety
• Loss of energy
• Social withdrawal
• Oversleeping
• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
• Weight gain
• Difficulty concentrating and processing information

Summer depression

• Anxiety
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Irritability
• Agitation
• Weight loss
• Poor appetite
• Increased sex drive

There is also another form called Reverse SAD which is a form of bipolar disorder, characterized by mania including persistent elevated mood, hyperactivity, increased social interaction, and inappropriate enthusiasm.

Risk factors for SAD include a family history, living far from the equator, and being female (although men who have SAD sometimes demonstrate more severe symptoms).  Interestingly, it has been theorized that SAD may actually be an evolutionary tool to conserve energy during the winter and encourage the procreation cycle to produce offspring in the early spring.

Treatment options for SAD is concentrated in three areas.  Phototherapy – light therapy – mimics natural light in order to change your brain chemistry, thereby affecting your mood.  Another treatment option is seasonal medication, typically antidepressants such as Wellbutrin, Prozac, and Zoloft.  Finally, psychotherapy is commonly used to modify thoughts and behaviors which enhance or encourage SAD, as well as to help people find ways to cope with the depression.

If you have experience with SAD or would like more information on this topic, please leave a comment below.

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Source: The Mayo Clinic