Scientists have found a link between allergies and mental disorders
British scientists analyzed data from the British Biobank and confirmed the existing opinion in science that allergies are often accompanied by mental disorders. However, mathematical processing of genetic analysis data did not reveal a causal relationship between the two groups of diseases. The article was published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy .
Previous studies have shown that people with allergies are more prone to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and neuroticism. But this does not mean that mental disorders are the result of allergies, or vice versa.
For an independent analysis of the manifestations of the two groups of diseases, the scientists used the Mendelian randomization method to process patient data from the British biobank UK Biobank. This made it possible to identify genetic variants that determine specific allergic diseases, and then check for links with mental health disorders.
It turned out that associations between allergic diseases and mental health features exist, but with a special causal analysis, they are not traced, respectively, none of the groups plays a significant role in the emergence of the other.
“We found evidence of a link between the phenotype of allergic disease and depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and neuroticism. Similar associations have been found between asthma, atopic dermatitis, hay fever, and mental health phenotypes. But there is little evidence for a causal relationship in either direction, ”the study authors said.
Previously, scientists have found that mental illness significantly shortens a person's life. Researchers analyzed data from more than seven million patients and found that their risk of death is 2-7 times higher than that of the average citizen.
