Depression in MS may increase risk for incident vascular disease and mortality, and the effects of depression and MS on all-cause mortality appear synergistic, according to a study published in Neurology. Researchers who conducted a population-based retrospective matched cohort study found that 21% of those with MS and 9% of matched controls had depression at baseline. People with MS had an increased risk for incident vascular disease compared with controls, regardless of whether they had comorbid depression. The 10-year hazard for all-cause mortality was 1.75-fold greater for controls with depression, 3.88-fold greater for patients with MS without depression, and 5.43-fold greater for patients with MS and depression. A synergistic interaction between MS status and depression accounted for 14% of the observed effect.

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