NIMH to Study Link Between Depression, Osteoporosis. (News Briefs).(health)(Brief Article)

The National Institute of Mental Health has launched a study of women aged 21-45 who suffer from major depression to determine whether they are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis, a progressive decrease in bone density that makes bones fragile and more likely to break.

The study will require the women to visit NIMH headquarters six times during the course of a year to receive a psychological evaluation, a bone mineral density test, and measurements of stress hormones, such as cortisol. Research suggests that higher cortisol levels, often …