DYK? Shingles & Depression

Did you know (DYK) that the pain that accompanies shingles, known in medical circles as post herpetic neuralgia (PHN), is the leading cause of suicide amongst the elderly? I heard this statement on a news broadcast last night while I was waiting to have tea and tiramisu with a homeschool friend who, ironically, has suffered from shingles a number of times. For a more detailed discussion of this phenomenon, click here.

Also, did you know that exercise can help alleviate depression? Quoting from Dr. Weil.com:

A Duke University study found that a 16-week exercise program worked s well as antidepressant drugs on adults with symptoms of major depression. The study included 202 men and women divided into four groups: one took antidepressants; a second took a supervised exercise class three times a week; a third group worked out at home. The fourth one took a placebo. At the end of the study, 47 percent of the patients on the antidepressants and 45 percent of those in the exercise class were no longer depressed. The group that exercised at home did well, too --- 40 percent had overcome their symptoms. Of those who took the placebo, only 31 percent improved. Exercise may have the same beneficial effect on the brain chemicals involved in depression as the drugs that target these substances.

For readers who would like to read the full text of this study, check the September 2007 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. Article title: “Exercise and Pharmacotherapy in the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder.”