SYDNEY, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- An Australian-led study has found that women carry a significantly higher genetic risk of depression compared to men.

The study revealed for the first time important genetic differences in how females and males experience depression, which could lead to more targeted intervention and treatments, according to a statement released Wednesday by Australia's QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

The research team discovered about twice as many genetic "flags" for depression in the DNA of females compared with males, the statement said.

The team identified about 7,000 changes in the DNA that could cause depression in both sexes, and about a further 6,000 DNA changes that could cause depression in females only, it said.

"We found some genetic differences that may help explain why females with depression more often experience metabolic symptoms, such as weight changes or altered energy levels," said QIMR Berghofer Researcher Jodi Thomas, lead author of the study published in Nature Communications.

The study analyzed DNA from hundreds of thousands of people with and without depression, including around 130,000 females and 65,000 males with depression, with additional analyses confirming the findings were robust and not solely due to sample size differences.

"Depression looks very different from one person to another. Until now, there hasn't been much consistent research to explain why depression affects females and males differently, including the possible role of genetics," said Brittany Mitchell, senior researcher at QIMR Berghofer's Genetic Epidemiology Lab.

The researchers said their findings highlight the importance of considering sex-specific genetic influences in studying depression and other health conditions, noting that most drug trials and therapies are tested on males. ■