Physical Health Risks of Depression: 9 Ways Depression Damages Your Body
When most people think about depression, they picture sadness, low energy, or trouble getting out of bed. What they don't realize is that depression affects far more than your mood.
Depression can damage your heart. It can weaken your immune system. It can change your brain and increase your risk of diabetes. The mind-body connection runs deeper than most people understand.
If you're living with depression—or love someone who is—these physical health risks are something you need to know about. Not to scare you, but to help you take action before these problems take hold.
Here's what decades of research tell us about how depression affects the body, and what you can do to protect yourself.
Depression's Impact on Physical Health
The Mind-Body Connection Is Real
Depression isn't just "in your head." When you're depressed, your body goes through real, measurable changes. Stress hormones like cortisol stay elevated for long periods. Inflammation increases throughout your body. Your nervous system gets stuck in fight-or-flight mode.
These changes set the stage for serious health problems. Understanding them is the first step toward protecting yourself.
🧠 What Happens in Your Body When You're Depressed
1. Heart Disease and Stroke
This is the health risk that surprises most people. Depression significantly increases your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
A major study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that people with depression have a 64% greater risk of developing coronary artery disease. If you already have heart disease and develop depression, you're 59% more likely to have another cardiac event.
Depression & Heart Disease
64% higher risk of coronary artery disease • 59% more likely to have another cardiac event if depressed after heart disease diagnosis
Young adults aren't immune. Research from Johns Hopkins Medicine analyzed data from more than 500,000 adults ages 18-49 and found that young people with depression had higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease risk factors compared to their peers.
What makes this connection so dangerous? Depression causes chronic inflammation and keeps stress hormones elevated. Over time, this damages blood vessels, raises blood pressure, and disrupts your heart rhythm. Depression also makes it harder to exercise, eat well, take medications, and follow your doctor's advice—all things that protect your heart.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, about 40% of the link between depression and major cardiac events can be explained by stress-related brain activity, nervous system problems, and chronic inflammation.
2. Diabetes
Depression and diabetes have a two-way relationship. If you have depression, you're more likely to develop diabetes. If you have diabetes, you're more likely to develop depression.
Research shows that depressed adults have a 37% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One reason: depression makes it harder to maintain healthy habits. When you're struggling just to get through the day, cooking nutritious meals and exercising regularly often fall by the wayside.
Higher diabetes risk
with depression
Of diabetics also
have depression
Each condition
increases the other
But there's also biology at work. Depression affects insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation directly. Studies show that depression impairs the body's ability to manage glucose, raising HbA1c levels (a key measure of blood sugar control over time).
For people already managing diabetes, depression makes the condition harder to control. It leads to poorer medication adherence, less physical activity, and worse eating patterns. According to the CDC, about 29% of adults with diabetes also have depression, compared to 18% of adults without diabetes.
"One of the most important things I tell my clients is that taking care of your mental health isn't separate from taking care of your body. When we treat depression, we're not just helping people feel happier—we're protecting their hearts, their immune systems, and their long-term brain health. The mind and body are one system."
— Kayla Crane, LMFT | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
3. Weakened Immune System
When you're depressed, your body has a harder time fighting off infections.
Depression keeps stress hormones elevated, particularly cortisol. In the short term, cortisol helps your body respond to threats. But when cortisol stays high for weeks or months, it starts suppressing your immune system. White blood cell counts drop. Inflammation increases.
Research shows that some vaccines, including the shingles vaccine, may be less effective in older adults with depression. Your body simply doesn't mount as strong a response.
🛡️ How Depression Weakens Your Immune System
This is one reason people with depression symptoms tend to get sick more often and take longer to recover from illnesses. The immune system is a key player in your overall health, and depression interferes with its ability to protect you.
4. Chronic Pain
Between one-third and 60% of people with chronic pain also have depression. And about 55% of people with depression experience chronic pain.
This connection goes both ways. Depression changes how your brain processes pain signals. Neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine help regulate both mood and pain perception. When these chemicals are out of balance, you may feel pain more intensely.
Common pain problems associated with depression include headaches and migraines, back pain, joint pain, and fibromyalgia. Research shows that people with fibromyalgia are about three times more likely to have major depression than people without the condition (22% vs 7%).
How Depression Affects Your Body
Heart & Circulation
Elevated blood pressure, increased inflammation, higher risk of heart attack and stroke
Brain Function
Memory problems, concentration difficulties, increased dementia risk
Immune System
Reduced ability to fight infections, slower wound healing, decreased vaccine effectiveness
Energy & Metabolism
Blood sugar imbalances, weight changes, fatigue, disrupted appetite hormones
Sleep Quality
Insomnia, hypersomnia, disrupted sleep cycles that further impact all body systems
Pain Sensitivity
Heightened pain perception, chronic headaches, back pain, joint problems
The pain-depression cycle can be hard to break. Pain makes depression worse. Depression makes pain feel more intense. Getting help for both conditions at once often leads to better outcomes than treating either alone.
The Pain-Depression Cycle
Breaking this cycle often requires treating both depression and pain together for the best results.
5. Sleep Problems
Sleep problems and depression are deeply intertwined. As many as 90% of people with depression report poor sleep quality.
About 75% of people with depression have insomnia—trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Meanwhile, 40% of younger adults with depression experience hypersomnia, sleeping too much.
Sleep problems aren't just a symptom of depression—they're also a cause. According to the Sleep Foundation, a meta-analysis of 34 studies found that people with insomnia are more than twice as likely to develop depression compared to people who sleep well. Some research suggests the risk may be even higher, up to 10 times greater.
Depression & Sleep: The Numbers
of people with depression report poor sleep quality
more likely to develop depression if you have insomnia
of depressed patients experience insomnia symptoms
Poor sleep weakens your immune system, increases inflammation, and makes it harder to cope with stress. It becomes another pathway through which depression damages your physical health.
If you're struggling with both depression and sleep problems, treating the sleep issues can significantly improve your mood. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is now considered a first-line treatment.
6. Weight Changes and Obesity
Depression affects weight in complex ways. Some people lose their appetite and drop weight. Others turn to food for comfort and gain weight. Both patterns can harm your health.
About 43% of adults with depression are obese, compared to 33% of adults without depression. The relationship goes both ways: people with obesity have a 20-55% higher risk of developing depression, and people with depression have a 37-58% higher risk of becoming obese.
Depression & Weight: A Two-Way Street
of adults with depression are obese (vs 33% without depression)
higher risk of depression for people with obesity
higher risk of obesity for people with depression
Weight gain during depression often involves emotional eating—using food to cope with painful feelings. But there's also biology involved. Depression affects appetite hormones like leptin and ghrelin, making it harder to regulate hunger and fullness signals.
The combination of depression and obesity creates additional health risks, including higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
7. Cognitive Decline and Dementia
Perhaps the most concerning long-term risk: depression is linked to a significantly higher chance of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
According to Alzheimer's Research UK, a systematic review combining results from 27 research studies found that depression is associated with roughly double the risk of developing dementia. Another analysis found that people with depression have a 54% increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Depression Doubles Dementia Risk
A systematic review of 27 studies found people with depression have 2x the risk of developing dementia and a 54% higher risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Why does this connection exist? Depression causes elevated cortisol, which can damage the hippocampus—the brain region responsible for memory. Depression also increases inflammation in the brain and may accelerate the biological processes that lead to cognitive decline.
The timing of depression matters less than you might think. Research now shows that depression increases dementia risk whether it occurs in early adulthood, mid-life, or later life. Chronic stress and depression appear to be genuine risk factors for cognitive problems down the road.
Here's some encouraging news: treatment helps. A large study of over 46,000 people with depression found that those who received treatment—whether medication, psychotherapy, or both—had a lower risk of developing dementia than those who went untreated.
"People sometimes ask me if it's too late to get help for depression they've had for years. The research is clear: it's never too late. Treatment at any age improves physical health outcomes and can even reduce your risk of cognitive decline. Your brain and body have remarkable capacity to heal when you give them the right support."
— Kayla Crane, LMFT | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
8. Earlier Onset of Chronic Illness
A striking 2025 study published in The Lancet Public Health examined more than 172,500 adults in the UK and found that people with a history of depression experienced the onset of chronic illnesses about 30% earlier than people without depression.
This means depression doesn't just increase your risk of health problems—it makes them arrive sooner in life. Heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other chronic conditions may show up years earlier in people with untreated depression.
Depression Makes Illness Arrive Sooner
A 2025 study of 172,500+ adults found that people with depression developed chronic illnesses 30% earlier than those without depression. Heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis may show up years sooner.
The biological changes caused by depression—chronic inflammation, elevated stress hormones, immune system dysfunction—take a cumulative toll on the body over time.
9. Worse Outcomes From Other Illnesses
Even when health problems arise for other reasons, depression makes them harder to manage and recover from.
Studies show that people with major depression who are recovering from strokes or heart attacks have more difficulty making healthcare choices, following treatment plans, and adhering to their doctor's instructions. They're also at higher risk of death in the months following a cardiac event.
Depression is actually the strongest predictor of death in the first decade after a heart disease diagnosis. Patients are twice as likely to die if they develop depression after being diagnosed with heart disease.
This pattern holds across many conditions. Depression complicates recovery and makes almost every health problem worse.
Depression's Impact on Recovery
Depression is the #1 predictor of death in the decade after heart disease diagnosis
Patients are twice as likely to die if they develop depression after heart disease
Depression makes it harder to follow treatment plans and doctor's advice
Getting Help Makes a Difference
This list of health risks might feel overwhelming. But here's what matters most: treating depression protects your physical health, not just your mental health.
Therapy works. Medication helps many people. Regular exercise, good sleep habits, strong social connections, and stress management all make a difference. The key is taking action rather than waiting for depression to pass on its own.
Research consistently shows that people who get treatment for depression have better physical health outcomes across the board. Their hearts are healthier. Their immune systems work better. Their risk of dementia drops.
Depression is treatable. And treating it is one of the most important things you can do for your whole-body health.
Treatment Works
Research shows that treating depression improves physical health outcomes
Better heart health outcomes
Lower dementia risk with treatment
Improved immune function
Better sleep quality
What You Can Do Today
If you recognize yourself in this article, here are practical steps you can take:
Talk to a therapist who specializes in depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR therapy, and other evidence-based approaches can help you feel better and protect your long-term health.
See your doctor for a checkup. Given the connections between depression and heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions, it's worth getting baseline measurements of your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
Prioritize sleep. If insomnia is part of your depression, addressing it can improve both your mood and your physical health.
Move your body. Even small amounts of exercise help with depression and protect against many of the health risks described here. Start where you are, even if that's a 10-minute walk.
Don't wait. Depression tends to get worse without treatment, and the longer it goes on, the more damage it can do to your body. Reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Your Next Steps
Evidence-based treatments like CBT and EMDR can help you feel better and protect your health
Check your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol with your doctor
Treating insomnia can improve both mood and physical health
Even 10 minutes of walking helps with depression and protects your health
Not sure if you're depressed? Our free quiz can help you understand your symptoms
Not sure if you're depressed? Take our free depression screening quiz to learn more about your symptoms.
We're Here to Help
At South Denver Therapy, we understand that depression affects your whole life—your relationships, your work, your physical health, and your sense of who you are. Our therapists specialize in evidence-based treatments that help people recover from depression and build lives they feel good about.
We offer individual therapy, couples counseling, and EMDR therapy at our Castle Rock office and through online therapy throughout Colorado.
You can also explore our free resources including our free depression workbook to start your healing journey today.
If you're ready to feel better, we're ready to help. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions About Depression and Physical Health
Does depression really affect your physical health, or is it all in your head?
Depression absolutely affects your physical health. When you're depressed, your body experiences measurable changes—elevated stress hormones like cortisol, increased inflammation, and disrupted nervous system function. These biological changes directly increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, weakened immunity, and chronic pain. The mind-body connection is very real.
How much does depression increase your risk of heart disease?
Research shows people with depression have a 64% higher risk of developing coronary artery disease. If you already have heart disease and develop depression, you're 59% more likely to have another cardiac event. Young adults aren't protected either—studies show elevated heart risks even in people ages 18-49 with depression.
Can treating depression actually improve my physical health?
Yes. Studies consistently show that people who receive treatment for depression—whether therapy, medication, or both—have better physical health outcomes. Treatment has been linked to healthier hearts, stronger immune function, better sleep, and even lower risk of developing dementia. It's never too late to benefit from treatment.
Why do depression and chronic pain seem to go together?
Depression changes how your brain processes pain signals. The neurotransmitters that regulate mood (serotonin and norepinephrine) also regulate pain perception. When these chemicals are out of balance, you may feel pain more intensely. Between one-third and 60% of people with chronic pain also have depression, creating a cycle where each condition worsens the other.
Does depression increase my risk of dementia or Alzheimer's?
Unfortunately, yes. Research shows people with depression have roughly double the risk of developing dementia and a 54% increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Chronic stress hormones from depression can damage the hippocampus (the memory center of your brain) and increase brain inflammation. The good news: treatment at any age can reduce this risk.
How does depression affect sleep, and why does it matter for my health?
About 90% of people with depression report poor sleep. Around 75% experience insomnia, while 40% of younger adults with depression sleep too much. Poor sleep weakens your immune system, increases inflammation, and makes depression worse—creating a harmful cycle. Treating sleep problems can significantly improve both mood and physical health.
Can depression cause diabetes?
Depression increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by about 37%. Depression affects insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation directly, and it also makes it harder to maintain healthy eating and exercise habits. People who have both conditions face greater challenges—about 29% of adults with diabetes also have depression.
What's the connection between depression and your immune system?
When you're depressed, elevated stress hormones suppress your immune function. White blood cell counts drop, and your body has trouble fighting infections. Research shows even vaccines may be less effective in people with depression. This is one reason depressed people get sick more often and recover more slowly.
I've had depression for years—is it too late to prevent physical health problems?
It's never too late. While untreated depression does accumulate health effects over time, treatment at any age improves your physical health outcomes. Studies show people who finally get treatment—even after years of depression—see improvements in heart health, immune function, and cognitive protection. Your brain and body have remarkable capacity to heal.
Should I tell my doctor about my depression during my annual checkup?
Absolutely. Given the strong connections between depression and heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions, your doctor needs this information. It helps them interpret your health numbers, recommend appropriate screenings, and coordinate your care. Mental health is health—don't leave it out of the conversation.
Signs of Depression You Shouldn't Ignore
Learn to recognize the warning signs of depression in yourself or loved ones.
Managing Anxiety and Depression
Evidence-based strategies for managing both conditions together.
Understanding Counseling for Depression
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Depression Statistics 2025
Current data on depression prevalence and treatment trends.
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