depression: is it in the genes ?

Predisposition to depression could be linked to the stress hormone cortisol and have a genetic basis, a new massive study finds.

In a new study published in the prestigious journal Nature, researchers compared the DNA of depressed and non depressed patients and were able to identify two genetic variations associated with depressive symptoms.

Interestingly, one of them is linked to a gene to the production of the “stress hormone” cortisol.

This study, one of the largest ever conducted on the subject, initially involved researchers from 17 countries and over 160,000 subjects. Its results werelater corroborated with an ever larger cohorst of nearly 370,000 individuals.
​
Source: Okbay et alia (2018)

​