Depressive Symptoms as Potential Mediator between Physical Activity and Bone Health—A Scoping Review

Abstract

Depression constitutes a risk factor for osteoporosis (OP). Increasing physical activity might mitigate this risk, although intensive exercising may lead to opposing effects in depressed patients. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the evidence regarding the influence of exercise on bone health in depressed patients, divided into two sections: (1) Which bone markers are affected by depression? (2) How does exercise affect bone health in patients with depressive symptoms? A search of the literature was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science between August 2020–2022. Studies were included based on predetermined criteria for each sub-question. Regarding sub-question 1, eight studies revealed the following bone markers to be influenced by depression: P1NP, BAP, CTX, OC, RANKL, OPG, DPD, and PYD. Regarding sub-question 2, one study found a correlation between depression and bone health in an exercising population, and other studies detected improvements in bone health (n = 4) and depressive symptoms (n = 4) after exercise interventions. The current review shows the potential of exercise as a treatment form to improve bone health in depressed patients. Future trials are needed to assess the influence of exercise intervention on bone health in depressed patients.