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People who have a variant gene and experienced a high level of stress were more likely to experience depression, a new study suggests. Researchers looked at the genes of nearly 2,361 white people from the United Kingdom and Hungary. They asked them about past and recent life events. These included childhood abuse or neglect, financial problems and illnesses. The participants were also assessed for current depression and anxiety. The researchers found that people with genetic variations in a brain chemical called galanin were more likely to be depressed and anxious after stressful life events. Galanin seems to have a role in pain, sleeping, waking mood and blood pressure. It’s suspected to also play a role in stress and anxiety disorders. The results may help develop new drugs to treat depression and anxiety.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) aren’t all they’re touted to be, according to a U.S. study. Researchers focused on whether they were effective smoking cessation tools. They found that e-cigarettes did not help people quit or cut down on smoking. The study followed 949 smokers. Of them, 88 said they were also using e-cigarettes at the start of the study in 2011. One year later, 14% of the total group had quit smoking. The e-cigarette group did not quit at a greater rate than the larger group. The study and its findings are not without controversy. Critics claim that the study was too small for the findings to be conclusive. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine online. HealthDay News reported on it March 24.