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Elderly people who get treated for depression appear to benefit physically, as well as mentally.
Depression is "a common problem and it's treatable" in senior citizens, says Christopher Callahan, MD, of Indiana University's medical school, a specialist in research on aging.
"When we say it's treatable, we're suggesting that not only the depression symptoms themselves are treatable, but that it may also be accompanied with improved physical function," Callahan tells WebMD Elderly people who get treated for depression appear to benefit.
Callahan and colleagues have new evidence of that.
They've just reported their results from a year-long study of about 1,000 depressed senior citizens nationwide.
The findings showed improved physical function with depression treatment.
If you or someone you know is concerned with depression in old age, the study had several key findings.
"First, it shows that even older adults with failing physical health can be successfully treated for depression.
Second, it shows that treating the depression also helps slow the physical decline," they write in a news release.
"Once the concern is there, the best approach is to accompany that older adult to visit their primary care physician and raise the issue very directly," he tells WebMD.
Don't write off depression to the trials of old age or poor health.
Depression is often a separate illness that's fixable, even when other conditions are also present, says Callahan.
