Blood test can instantly diagnose depression

Medical researchers at Keio university in Japan have developed a test which measures the concentration of phosphoric acid in the blood, which has previously been linked to depression.

In a previous study, HMT made the connection between phosphoric acid and depression and found that those patients with depression have lower concentrations of ethanolamine phosphate. Researchers are able to use the blood test to diagnose patients with depression and have an 82 percent success rate.

The researchers hope to make this test available to physicians within the next two years. The backers of these researchers, Human Metabolome Technologies (HMT), are currently developing a reagent that will be able to determine the level of ethanolamine phosphate in a few minutes. Most of the other tests look at white blood cell DNA and take a long time to complete

Blood test can instantly diagnose depression

Great, another way to put plenty of people on pills when they don't need it!

Thats if it works?
if they past the test and still commit suicide,
it must have been some thing eles!
maybe a cover up?


I hope it does.
but if you belive only the test.
what about the odd ones out?
they get NO help!

God thats really interesting. Will try to find out more about this myself.
I know a few people who have had depression for a very long time, you wouldn't need a blood test to diagnose it though. Talk to them for a while and it's pretty obvious they are depressed. It'd be a great for gps to have use of it though.

Can just imagine the dept of work and pensions people salivating over this idea, testing those who are too 'depressed' to work.

reply to post by User8911

Great, another way to put plenty of people on pills when they don't need it!

Well, they kind of do, otherwise they wouldn't be depressed

reply to post by buddha


Phosphoric acid... Perhaps there is a link to the acidic North American diet and depression after all. If so, maybe it would be prudent to use mild intake of sodium bicarbonate (bromo-seltzer etc) regularly to offset.

1/4 dose? 1/2 dose? Was there not a physician out of Italy using baking soda + maple syrup ~or~ honey to treat cancer?

I think this could be a good thing. People with real depression have to run through hoops to get disability if they can't work, it takes almost two years. You have to have paperwork from more than one doctor, and they have to agree on your diagnosis etc.

A blood test would be a lot quicker, and maybe more accurate, than a doctors opinion.

It might also help with deciding on the correct medication instead of the experimentation that usually happens, and going through years of trying different meds with varying results, good and bad.

Chemical imbalance disorders might be taken more seriously.

No wonder depressed people love Coca-cola, a drink with a high phosphoric acid content.

I have a number if medical conditions one being fibromyalgia and have had a number of idiot doctors assume i am depressed and keep writing it on my chart.
they also keep trying to put me on antidepressants.

I would take this test just to prove i am NOT depressed

So what?
Depression is a very real ailment, and a blood test is unneccessary, unless the doctor thinks the patient is faking?
The blood test is only usefull if it leads to effective treatment. A blood test to confirm that someone has depression is a joke.

Originally posted by sinthia
So what?
Depression is a very real ailment, and a blood test is unneccessary, unless the doctor thinks the patient is faking?
The blood test is only usefull if it leads to effective treatment. A blood test to confirm that someone has depression is a joke.

Why is it unnecessary? Why is it a joke?

First off it is not as easy as you seem to think to diagnose depression correctly. Someone can be depressed because they, for example, lost a loved one, but it's not the same as chemical imbalance caused depression that will not improve if left untreated. A blood test would let the docs know if it is real clinical depression, that usually takes years to diagnose, as apposed to a temporary issue. This could make a big difference in your treatment.

Believe it or not some people are clinically depressed and don't realise that is what is wrong with them. A blood test for depression could be taken when you do other blood tests as part of your physical. If an unbalance is found it could be treated before it becomes a problem.

I see nothing wrong with this.