Depression is a common pathology and likely to be fatal: 10% of depressed people die of suicide, according to data from the National Institute of Health (Inserm). But according to a new study by researchers at Cambridge University in the UK, a simple saliva sample could help identify people who will develop a severe form of disease.
By measuring the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, in 1,800 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years, the researchers observed a link between a high level of this substance and signs of mild depression, which would lead to a 14-fold increase in risks of suffering from clinical depression in adulthood. In girls, it is only multiplied by four. Doctor Carmine Pariante, professor of biological psychiatry cited by the agency The Associated Press (AP), specifies that “the hormones specific to the sex of the individual, androgen in men and estrogen in women, could react differently to cortisol, which may explain the difference in risk factor between boys and girls. “
Lead author Professor Joe Herbert says the test is a whole new approach to dealing with depression, which affects more than 350 million people around the world. “No more need to rely only on what the patient describes, we can measure inside him, in a way,” he told AP.
