Depression may increase dementia risk in both midlife and late life

A new study has shown that depression was associated with an increased risk of dementia in both the middle and later life.

The new research, which has been published in Eclinical medicine, was led by Jacob Brain and Maha Eenhahrani of the Institute of Mental Health and School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, University of Adelaide and the Dementia Center of Excellence at Curtin University in Australia.

Our study shows that depression is linked to an increased risk of dementia in both midlife and late life. This emphasizes the importance of recognizing and treating depression during the life course, not only for mental health, but also as part of a broader strategy to protect brain health. The efforts of public health should put more emphasis on preventive brain health, including scaling up access to effective mental health care. “

Mr. Jacob Brain, Institute of Mental Health and School of Medicine, University of Nottingham

Dementia affects more than 57 million people worldwide. There is currently no remedy, so identifying and treating the factors to reduce the risk, such as depression, is an important priority of public health.

The potential couplings between depression and dementia are complex and can include chronic inflammation, hypothalamic-Hypophyse-bijnieras depression, vascular changes, changes in neurotrophe factors and imbalances in neurotransmitter. Shared genetic and behavioral changes can also increase the risks.

Previous studies have shown that people with depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life, but there has been a lot of debate about it when Depression is the most important, whether it is depression that starts in the midlife – in your 40s or 50s, or depression that appears later in life – in your 60s or after.

This new research brings together all existing evidence and adds new analysis to investigate this timing in more detail.

“Our findings increase the possibility that depression may leave in life not only a risk factor, but it can also be an early warning of dementia that starts to develop. By clarifying this timing, our work helps to guide future research, treatment and prevention strategies,” says Mr. Brain.

The team carried out an umbrella assessment and meta-analysis. They first collected and assessed all the best available data from systematic assessments with meta-analyzes (a statistical method that combines results from several studies to give a more reliable general estimate), which had already looked at the relationship between depression and dementia.

Then they went one step further by extracting data and again analyzing from the individual studies within those reviews, plus they added newer studies that were missed in the earlier work.

Mr. Brain adds: “We are specifically aimed at the timing When depression was measured, whether it was measured in midlife or in later life, and calculated how much it increased the risk of developing dementia. This essentially enabled us to give a more accurate and up-to-date picture of how depression in different phases of life is linked to dementia risk. “