According to a research in the US, women suffering from depression are at serious risk of bone fractures in later life. A team at the National Institutes of Health near Washington DC studied 24 women with a history of depression and found that 10 had a bone density so low that there was a high risk of broken bones in subsequent years. Depression is known to lead to higher levels of the steroid hydrocortisone, which can take minerals out of bones. But the extent of the effect was unexpected. David Michelson, who led the study says, "We are surprised by the magnitude of the difference.'