Smoking And Depression - Finally, The Proved Connection

A new US study and a six year long research has found that smokers are 41 percent more likely to suffer from depressiondefine than their non-smoking peers.

Researchers from the University of Navarra and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain and the Harvard School of Public Health in the US conducted study on 8,556 subjects who were university graduates with an average age of 42.

The study, published in Spanish health journal Medicina Clinica, found that more participants who smoked were diagnosed with depression during the study.

Lead author, Professor Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, project director from the University of Navarra says, “A significantly higher risk was found for smokers when they were compared to non smokers, whereas an inverse association was found for ex-smokers who had quit smoking more than 10 years ago.”

“This study supports an increased risk of depressiondefine associated to smoking.”

During the study scientists found that the current smokers who were initially not depressed were diagnosed with the disease by a doctor. They also found that a percentage of the participants who were not diagnosed with the illness indicated that they were taking antidepressant drugs over the research period.

Prof. Martinez-Gonzalez said, "Over the course of the tracking and data collection stage, 190 smokers who initially did not present depression were diagnosed with this disease by a doctor.

"In addition, 65 who were not diagnosed indicated that they were taking antidepressants during this period."

Researchers said 50% of all smokers will eventually be killed by their addiction, with 25% in middle age.

Smoking and depression are not linked for the first time. A previous research showed that teenagers who smoke appear to be more likely to develop depressive symptoms than their nonsmoking peers.

Another study found that smoking cigarettes may make teens more susceptible to depression, alcohol abuse and illegal drug use.