New research out in October suggests that anti-inflammatory medications may prove helpful in treating depression (1).  Scientists are becoming more interested in this class of medication due to a growing body of research suggesting that depression and many other illnesses develop, in part, due to inflammatory processes in the brain.

Stress hormones and inflammatory products produced when the body is stressed make their way to the brain and damage neurons.  They also interfere with natural brain cell repair mechanisms.

Although prior studies of aspirin have failed to show improvements in treatment of depression, scientists in this month’s report looked a 18 studies (over 10,000 participants) of anti-inflammatory medicines and found that treatment with this class of medication was associated a significant reduction in depressive symptoms.

Studying the link between inflammatory processes and the onset of depression may lead to a completely new way of treating this illness.  While it is not time to rush out to the drug store and begin self-medicating ourselves with anti-inflammatory products to improve mood, this research does offer hope for a new class of antidepressant medications being developed in the future.

(1) Ole Kohler and others.  Effect of Anti-inflammatory Treatment on Depression, Depressive Symptoms, and Adverse Effects.  JAMA Psychiatry (Online First), October 15, 2014.