Physical activity weakens link between genetic risk and depression severity, long-term data suggest
Researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio analyzed data from 23,517 adults in the NIH All of Us Research Program, combining depression polygenic risk scores, electronic health records and long-term Fitbit measurements averaging about 1.6 years per participant. Published in Nature Mental Health, the study found greater physical activity was associated with lower depression severity, with a stronger association among those with higher genetic vulnerability. The team aims to use such findings to develop personalized exercise recommendations for depression prevention and management.
Why it matters: Long-term wearable data show physical activity buffers genetic risk of depression severity, informing precision-medicine approaches.