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Blood test to detect teenage depression?

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    Dr. Manny Alvarez on findings of new study

  • Duration 2:41
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And we're back at -- blood test may soon change the way doctors diagnose depression in teens.

Doctors currently ask patients describe -- recall their symptoms but according to a study.

Published in the journal translational psychiatry.

Researchers discovered some of the answers might be found in a patient's genes.

Dr.

Manny Alvarez is the senior managing editor of Fox News health dot com.

He's -- member of the Fox's medical -- -- and -- of my kids are young they're not yet teenagers.

But they are certainly moody sometimes.

So how do you know as a parent.

If you're kid is just being moody here if there's a more serious problem at hand and maybe these blood -- the way.

Well I think this is very premature you know this is a very small -- looking at some bio markers some genetic markers that have been linked to depression.

You have to realize that depression especially in adolescent -- about 10% of kids.

And sometimes you don't know if it's from depression it is anxiety.

And their other sub types of depression.

And as psychiatrists.

And developmental pediatricians have a difficult time finding the right treatments so they key is.

To see -- through markers in the future because I don't think this is applicable now.

You gonna be able to say okay and this is that -- depression.

It's like you know it's identifiable are we gonna formulated specific treatment plan.

For that child.

I mean it might be premature but it kind of makes sense because blood tests are used to diagnose.

Some of the other kinds of health problems that so why not this well because genetic -- -- -- you know you don't know even the law if it you don't of these markers are truly conducive.

To depression.

At the end of the day you know right now we still don't use a lot of bio markers.

To identify specific diseases whether you're talking about heart disease know we have markers for you know heart disease for instance.

And we say okay -- this is commonly found in patients that develop.

Heart disease.

But we still not using them clinically and I and I think it's a little premature because this is only fourteen students -- -- fourteen kids that were analyzed.

If you use this in a 100000 teenagers maybe they'll markers are not going to be able.

To identify specific problems so I think that the aim of finding -- A way to diagnose all you know depression as it needs to be more objective and I and I applaud the -- that are doing the research.

Practically right now I think it's not gonna change much and I think it's important for parents still.

To realize that in adolescence 10% of them can develop depression and that really put altered their lifestyle moving forward.

All right to take it seriously you suspect there might be some absolute -- with your kid at home Dr.

Manny Alvarez of -- Fox News health dot com check him out there thanks doctor man.

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