People with depression have an increased risk of developing diabetes type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, an existing disease diabetes increases the risk of developing depression. If both diseases together, the negative impact on quality of life and life of those affected potentiate. therefore diabetesDE and the German Diabetes Association (DDG) call for better mental health care of diabetics.

The increased risk of diabetics to suffer from depression and the negative impact of the presence of both diseases are well documented by studies. These add up not only, they will multiply: Compared with diabetic patients without depression suffer depressive diabetic eleven times more common among complications of the small blood vessels. The risk of damage to the great vessels, which can lead to circulation problems or heart attack is increased by the 2,5 times.

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Coffee, tea and energy drinks: Worldwide people consume caffeine to be awake in the morning or in the evening to keep fit. Who can accompany the coffee machine through the day, used to it quickly to the effects - and must reckon with short withdrawal with fatigue, headache and loss of concentration. In people with a particular gene variant nature drug caffeine can even trigger anxiety. A research group in Bristol, London, Würzburg and Münster has the relationship between caffeine, anxiety and attention, habituation effects and genetics now investigated.

"A regular caffeine consumption seems mainly to counteract the negative effects of withdrawal," Dr. Christa Hohoff of Münster University, a lead author of the study. 379 people attended. A half of them usually consumed little or no caffeine, the other half of the consumption was in the mid to high range - converted at least about one cup of coffee a day. 16 hours all participants fully waived caffeine. Then they were either caffeine or a placebo and determines the perceived levels of anxiety, attention and headaches.

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may be inclined regard to dementia be

Scientists at the University of Leipzig and the University of Würzburg made recently an exciting, strange new discovery: The more skewed to a patient lies in his bed, the more difficult might be the degree of cognitive impairment. If an inclined position in the patient is detected, dementia or a preliminary stage of dementia may be present; The reports are published in the "British Medical Journal."

The special thing about this discovery is that the attending physician prior to the use of specific test procedures already from the mere observation of spontaneous behavior of a patient receives an indication that the cognitive performance of patients may be affected. So new diagnostic considerations targeted and treatment options can be initiated sooner. The study was published recently in the prestigious scientific journal "British Medical Journal" ( "Lying obliquely - a clinical sign of cognitive impairment: cross sectional observational study," BMJ.2009, Dec 16; 339: b5273).

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Experts advise screening

About a quarter of all patients with type 2 diabetes and one in five patients at hospitals with coronary heart disease suffer from depression. "This quality of life is severely impaired to increased mortality of these patients," said Prof. Dr. Stephan Herpertz from the University Hospital Bochum in early January on the 34. Interdisciplinary Forum "Progress and training in medicine," the German Medical Association in Berlin. Sufferers usually led an unhealthy lifestyle, are often physically inactive and tended to obesity. But physical changes, such as the conduction system of the heart, blood clotting or immune defenses are not rarely observed. Treatment recommendations come at difficult. "Depression in primary physically ill people are often not recognized under practical conditions and inadequately treated," says Herpertz. He therefore recommends a regular depression screening for chronic diseases as an integral part of routine care.

"In this case, depression of patients with diabetes or heart disease with antidepressants, psychotherapy or a combination of both nearly as well as treatable depressive patients without physical illness," emphasized Herpertz. However, there is currently no convincing treatment that reliably develops a favorable effect on the medical parameters of diabetes or coronary heart disease. So there is about no sufficient treatment that helps prolong survival in heart attack patients with depression and low social support.

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The preconception that testosterone causes aggressive, egocentric, and risky behavior, is contradicted by new experiments. The study by the Universities of Zurich and Royal Holloway London with more than 120 subjects the sexual hormone with the poor reputation can encourage fair behaviors if this serves to ensure one's own status.

Popular scientific literature, art and media wrote the well-known sexual hormone for decades a role which stands for aggressiveness. Research appeared to confirm - led the castration of male rodents to a reduction in combativeness among the animals. thus grew over decades The preconception that testosterone causes aggressive, risky and egocentric behavior. The inference from these experiments with animals, testosterone effects in humans equal, has now proven to be false, as a joint study by neuroscientist Christoph Eisenegger and economists Ernst Fehr, both of the University of Zurich, and Michael Naef, Royal Holloway, London, shows. "We wanted to verify how the hormone affects social behavior affects" explains Dr. Christoph Eisenegger and adds: "We were interested in the question: What is truth and what is myth"

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Specific disease characteristics and the genetic characteristics of a patient allow a prediction of the effects of antidepressants

It is still unclear why drugs at approximately 30 percent of patients not sufficiently effective with depression. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich have this phenomenon now being investigated by analysis of genetic and clinical parameters.

Their goal was to clarify which factors determine the success of treatment. They have identified the genetic material of patients first 46 genes that positively influence the effects of antidepressants. A future characterization of these genes promises new insights into the pathogenesis and treatment approaches. The interesting thing: Many of the genetic factors have been shown to also active in metabolic, cardiovascular diseases. In addition, the therapy proceeds particularly low in patients with a high number of positive gene variants, missing anxiety symptoms or young age. (Archives of General Psychiatry, online publication, 8. 2009 September)

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Venlafaxine and duloxetine relieve symptoms better than a placebo

Whether patients benefit with depression drugs from the group of medicines called selective serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has examined on behalf of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). In Germany, two of these agents are currently approved as antidepressants: venlafaxine and duloxetine. On 18. August 2009 the Institute has submitted its final report. Thus, the benefits of both active substances against a placebo (dummy treatment) is occupied: The patients respond better to treatment and suffer less from the symptoms of their depression. There are also indications that both drugs not only relieve the symptoms, but also protect against relapses. Interplay of biological and psychosocial factors

There are different assumptions as to when and how depression arise. The possible causes and influencing factors are manifold. It is undisputed that the so-called frame of depression from a complex interaction of biological and psychosocial factors arises. There is evidence that an altered or reduced transmission of certain neurotransmitters in the central nervous system plays a role. This is where most drug therapies. In the relatively new class of SNRI should equal influenced two of these messenger substances (neurotransmitters): They inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine.

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recognize warning signs - react correctly it

In Germany estimated that about 3,7 million people suffer from underweight. Of 100.000 suffering from anorexia and bulimia 600.000 to addiction. Recent figures show the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) that eating disorders are not domain of the female sex. Men also suffer more often on the supposed woman disease. Meanwhile, one in five sufferers is a man.

The most common eating disorders occur between 18 and 30 ages. In addition, it concerns with eating disorders often to an undiscovered suffering. The problems are only detected when hospitalization is unavoidable. According to the TK is more than half of those affected, the need to be hospitalized with eating disorders, previously not been noticed in the outpatient setting.

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Benefit of bupropion is / benefit of reboxetine not used: Manufacturer keeps trial data under lock and key

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 10. June 2009 the preliminary results of its benefit assessment of certain newer antidepressants submitted. In the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) commissioned project aims to evaluate the benefits of the three agents, reboxetine, mirtazapine and bupropion XL in adult patients with depression. Until 9. July may submit written comments on the preliminary interested persons and institutions. Reboxetine: No proof of benefit

The evaluation was different for the three drugs. The reboxetine (manufacturer: Pfizer) was tested according to the findings from the Institute in least 16 4600 studies about patients with depression. However, the Institute only had the data of about 1600 these patients. not one includes the unpublished data, which is a great danger to assess the benefits and harms of the drug wrong. IQWiG is therefore came to the preliminary conclusion that from the data currently available, no evidence can be derived for a benefit of treatment with reboxetine. IQWiG assumes this position in more detail.

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DGPPN responsible: For the first time combined treatment and care guidelines for unipolar depression

Depression is one according to the World Health Organization among the most common mental health problems at all. According to projections, the depression in the years 2030 in the industrialized countries will be ranked 1 the diseases from which people suffer. In Germany alone are already estimated five percent of the population, or about four million people affected.

Despite this high number of the widespread disease depression is not diagnosed in half of the cases and therefore often only insufficiently or not treated, although the treatment options have become more and more in recent years. To overcome the weaknesses in the supply and improve the scientific and medical expertise in diagnosis and treatment sustainably, the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology (DGPPN) has worked together with other institutions and organizations a new evidence-based guideline for unipolar depression ,

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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) provides insights

Patients with panic disorder experience no apparent trigger repeatedly states massive anxiety that are often accompanied by heart palpitations, shortness of breath and nausea. In fact, these sensations are caused by failures of the brain. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry have now examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain regions that are involved in the processing of emotional information. Compared to healthy subjects, patients with remitted panic disorder an increased activation of the amygdala, a brain region that plays a key role for triggering a fear response. Interestingly, this hyperactivity occurs parallel to a reduced activation of the cingulate and prefrontal cortex. Panic attacks are apparently the fact that this higher tax regions their controlling function can not perform adequately in the risk assessment. (PLoS ONE, online advance publication 20. 2009 May)

When panic disorder it causes an abrupt onset of intense anxiety, without an objective risk can be seen. The fear may rise to fear of death and be accompanied by numerous physical symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating or nausea. The disease occurs in one to four percent of the population, the outbreak is mostly between 20 and 40 years. Patients are often severely impaired. The symptoms of panic disorder often occur avoidance responses as agoraphobia - added with withdrawal behavior and depressive reactions - fear of open spaces. In extreme cases, patients are no longer able to leave their homes.

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