A new study, first reported by CNN, reveals that depression during middle age correlates with a greater chance of dementia in older age.
Researchers studied the medical records of 13,000 people that tracked the health history of people in their 40′s through their 80′s. The results showed that people diagnosed with depression in their 40′s and 50′s had a 20% increase of developing dementia.
Researchers also found that the age of diagnosis of depression played a role in what types of dementia people were diagnosed with. For instance, those who were diagnosed with dementia later than age 50 were not only at an even higher risk of developing dementia than those diagnosed during their middle ages, but were also more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Those diagnosed during their middle ages showed a higher frequency of developing vascular dementia, the study found.
Researchers theorize the link to Alzheimer’s and depression later in life may be correlated with early symptom’s of Alzheimer’s, but the link between middle age depression and vascular dementia seems to show more of a cause and effect.
“Recurring depression over the life course seems to be triggering vascular changes that puts [people] at risk for vascular dementia,” says lead author Deborah E. Barnes, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.
Although researchers admit a correlation seems to exist, they also admit the theory still needs more scientific testing and research to determine whether or not depression is a significant link to vascular changes that lead to dementia.
But the importance of the research is this: If there is truly a link to depression and dementia in middle age, could early treatments for depression lead to a decreased risk of developing dementia?
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
