Unipolar depression in adolescence is common worldwide but often unrecognized

Unipolar depressive disorder in adolescence is common worldwide but often unrecognised. The incidence, notably in girls, rises sharply after puberty and, by the end of adolescence, the 1 year prevalence rate exceeds 4%.

The burden of depression is highest in low-income and middle-income countries. Depression is associated with morbidity, and heightens suicide risk.

The strongest risk factors for depression in adolescents are:

- family history of depression
- exposure to psychosocial stress

Factors that interact to increase risk through hormonal and perturbed neural pathways include:

- inherited risks
- developmental factors
- sex hormones
- psychosocial adversity

References:

Depression in adolescence. Prof Anita Thapar et al. The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue 9820, Pages 1056 - 1067, 17 March 2012.

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People who "drink heavily every so often" are 45% more likely to develop coronary heart disease

Occasional heavy drinking was defined as having 5 or more standard drinks in a day at least 12 times per year. "Regular" heavy drinkers - those who averaged at least 5 drinks per day, were excluded from the analysis.

In general, moderate drinking - a drink or two per day - is considered a potentially heart-healthy habit. A number of studies have found that moderate drinkers have lower risks of heart disease than teetotalers do.

Research suggests that alcohol can increase "good" HDL cholesterol, has anti-inflammatory effects in the blood vessels and may make the blood less prone to clotting.

On the other hand, regular heavy drinking may increase blood pressure, promote blood clotting and contribute to development of arrhythmias.

References:

Occasional binges may undo alcohol's heart benefits. Reuters, 2010.

Monounsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, nuts and avocados increase "good" HDL cholesterol levels by 12% http://goo.gl/GBQa5
Alcohol literally kills: Gary Moore had 380mg/dL in his blood, Winehouse 416mg/dL when she died surrounded by 3 empty vodka bottles. Telegraph UK, 2012. 

Image source: OpenClipArt.org, public domain.