New Study Links Depression With Dementia

A new research concluded that patients suffering from depression might likely be prone to develop dementia when they are older.

The study, which was released in the Neurology journal last July 6th, 2010, examined 949 patients in the Framingham Heart Study for about eight and a half years. There were also some who were studied for almost two decades. In that span of time, over 164 patients, around 17% of the people studied, developed dementia. However, among those participants who were depressed at the start of the study, the rate of developing the illness was higher at about 22%.

Setting aside the differences of the participants’ groups, the examiners discovered that depression increased dementia risk by 72%. In addition, those suffering a more severe depression were at a higher risk of dementia later on in their lives.

According to Assistant Professor Dr. Jane Saczynski of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, the vascular alterations in the brain linked to depression might likewise cause dementia. “It is very clear that depression is a risk factor for dementia rather than a consequence of the disease” given the research’s extended interval, she added.

Until now, it is still not clear if depression can really cause dementia. However, researchers claim that the study indicated the various ways depression might trigger a risk of the illness.