Use Of Anti-inflammatories In The Treatment Of Depression

For some time now, numerous researches have focused their studies on the role of inflammation in depressive states. Therefore, in this article we are going to see the possible therapeutic use that anti-inflammatories can have in the treatment of depression.

According to some studies, conventional treatment of major depression through antidepressants and cognitive therapy is only effective in about 60% of patients. This leaves 40% of patients resistant to treatment, in which the depressive state without therapeutic efficacy can even lead to suicide.

In the case of major depression, we are talking about a very high prevalence. It affects approximately 350 million people in the world, which is 1 in 10 adults. Therefore, it is important to delve into therapeutic alternatives that can contribute to the treatment of this disorder.

Role of inflammation in depression

As we have said, more and more studies link depression to inflammatory states of the brain. At first it was not clear if depression could arise as a result of previous inflammation or if, on the contrary, depression was the cause of this inflammatory process.

Depression, in general, is a multifactorial disorder in which several psychosocial, genetic and biological factors are involved. Among them, stress has an influence, which, in turn, is also capable of activating the inflammatory signaling cascade and producing changes in our brain.

In patients with major depression, the increased presence of inflammatory biomarkers in the blood has been observed. This includes the so-called inflammatory cytokines, also capable of inducing modifications in the central nervous system, the immune system and even the neuroendocrine system. Specifically, an increase in C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as various interleukins, has been found.

Anti-inflammatories in the treatment of depression

Taking into account this inflammatory theory of depression, a wide range of therapeutic possibilities opens up that can help in the treatment of this disorder. This is especially important in those patients with states of major depression who do not respond to classic antidepressant drugs.

Thus, it has been seen that the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines increases the efficacy of antidepressant drugs and improves, in general, the condition of patients with this pathology. Initially, this relationship was discovered in cancer and anti-infective treatments in which the administration of interferon-alpha was found to produce symptoms similar to those of depressive states.

Currently, the actual therapeutic use of anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of depression is being studied. Various investigations in animals have shown that the administration of inflammatory cytokine antagonists reduces depressive behaviors, as well as reactions to stress.

These inflammatory cytokine antagonists, also called anti-inflammatory cytokines or antitokines, are sometimes used in patients with systemic autoimmune conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. In studies carried out with these patients, a very significant antidepressant effect compared to a placebo has been seen as a side effect of the therapy.

Omega-3 as a complementary treatment for depression

Also in relation to this, some studies propose omega-3 supplements as therapeutic adjuvants for depression, due to their anti-inflammatory effect. Various investigations link the presence of depression with a deficit of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

In fact, the omega-3 fatty acid that has shown the greatest efficacy against depressive states in various studies has been eicosapentaenoic or EPA; In addition, it is precisely the one that has the greatest anti-inflammatory effect. It is capable of influencing the immune system and reducing some pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins, as well as modifying other molecular mechanisms.

Further research is still required in this field. Depression is too complex a disorder and inflammation has too diffuse symptoms for the relationship between the two to be clearly defined. Undoubtedly, it is an open therapeutic field that has many perspectives and in which there is much hope for the future.