foodconsumer.org: Study Shows Link between Depression and Dementia

Study Shows Link between Depression and Dementia
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Rachel Stockton on 07/06/2010 13:46:00
 
Research conducted by the University of Massachusetts Medical School has shown a
definitive link between depression and dementia/Alzheimer's risk.  Results of
the study are being published in the journal Neurology.
Study Details
Lead author Jane Saczynski, associate professor of medicine, led team that
followed a group of 1,000 participants for up to 17 years to determine an
association between the two disorders.  Those chosen for the study were already
a part of the Framingham Heart Study, which began in 1948 as a way to determine
heart disease risk factors in residents of Framingham, Massachusetts.  This is
significant because obtaining participants already involved in another study
allowed Saczynski to control for other various risk factors, such as heart
attack, stroke, smoking, and alcohol use.
Upon conculsion of the study, Saczynski determined that depression doubles a
person's risk for dementia and also substantially increases risk for Alzheimer's
disease, which is a particular form of dementia.
Interpreting the Data
Further research will need to be conducted to determine whether or not the link
between depression and Alzheimer's is associative or causal.  Saczynski points
out that exercise and social engagement tend to reduce the risk for Alzheimer's
and depression, so the association may be due to chemical reactions in the brain
that may be similar to one another(CNN) .
The bottom line is that people who are suffering from depression should be
treated for it, and older people who are depressed should be tested for possible
neurological problems.
Other Risk Factors
According to the Alzheimer's Association, living a balanced life by exercising
both body and mind seem to significantly reduce the risk of developing the
disease.  It has also been established that serious head injury raises risk of
Alzheimer's later in life.