Depression in late-life is associated with an increased risk of dementia, a new study has found.
Researchers found a ‘consistent relationship’ between late-life depression and risk for all cause dementia.
The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, highlights the importance of managing depression ‘across the life-course’, with ‘opportune access’ to both pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments, in order to help ‘mitigate the risk of progression to dementia’.
Pooled results from previous studies indicated that depression in both late-life and midlife ‘significantly increased risk of all-case dementia’.
The authors, from the University of Nottingham, University of Adelaide and the Dementia Centre of Excellence at Curtin University in Australia, noted that there has been a recent shift in focus ‘toward midlife depression’, whereas their findings ‘suggest that late-life depression remains a critical period of dementia risk’.
‘Our findings suggest that although depression emerging near dementia onset may partly reflect prodromal changes, it nonetheless represents a potentially modifiable risk factor, as timely and effective intervention could mitigate the progression of cognitive decline,’ the study said.
It concluded: ‘This umbrella review and meta-analysis demonstrates that depression across the life course, particularly in later life, is associated with an increased risk of dementia, suggesting it may function both as a prodromal symptom and a modifiable risk factor.’
The researchers called for ‘targeted screening and depression management in older adults especially’.
Previous studies have shown that people with depression are more likely to develop dementia later in life, but this research set out to determine the importance of the timing of this depression.
Study author Jacob Brain, from the University of Nottingham, said they ‘specifically focused on the timing of when depression was measured’ in order to calculate ‘how much it increased the risk of developing dementia’.
He said: ‘Our findings raise the possibility that depression late in life may not just be a risk factor, but it could also be an early warning sign of dementia beginning to develop. By clarifying this timing, our work helps guide future research, treatment, and prevention strategies.’
‘Public health efforts need to place greater emphasis on preventative brain health, including scaling up access to effective mental health care,’ Mr Brain added.
The researchers carried out an umbrella review and meta-analysis to examine all the best available data on the link between depression and dementia.
A previous study has suggested that people with both pre-diabetes and depression are nearly three times more at risk of developing dementia in later life.
Last year, the Lancet’s third commission on dementia added high cholesterol and untreated vision loss to the list of risk factors, which already included depression along with smoking and traumatic brain injury.
