6 Midlife Depression Symptoms Linked to 50% Higher Dementia Risk, The Lancet Study Warns

A new Lancet study has identified specific depressive symptoms that - when experienced in midlife – can be among the main drivers behind increased dementia risk later in life. Dementia is an umbrella term

for neurological conditions that impact a person’s cognitive skills and memory, like Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Even though scientists are not clear what exactly causes dementia, a number of risk factors and reasons have been identified, which include:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of confidence
• Feeling nervous all the time
• Not able to face problems
• Not feeling warmth and affection for others
• Not satisfied with the way tasks are carried out

For the study, researchers analyzed medical data from more than 5,800 middle-aged adult participants with an average age of 55 years. According to scientists, all participants had depressive symptoms assessed from 1997 to 1999, and then had their health followed for 25 years. At the conclusion, it was found that participants who had five or more depression symptoms in midlife had a 27 per cent higher risk of developing dementia.

Loss of confidence and coping issues linked to a 50% dementia risk

Upon further analysis, scientists also found that out of the six symptoms of depression, losing self-confidence and difficulty coping with issues were linked with an almost 50 per cent increased risk of dementia.

What is dementia?

Dementia involves a decline in the mental abilities you need for daily living. It develops when there’s damage to the parts of your brain involved with learning, memory, decision-making, and language. It is not a specific disease. It’s a clinical description of a set of symptoms caused by underlying brain diseases. The most common cause is Alzheimer’s disease. If you have it, you might forget the name of a close friend or loved one. Or you might get lost in the neighborhood where you’ve lived for many years. It is not part of normal aging. And it can shorten your lifespan, but how much varies. Certain factors may raise your chances of developing dementia. These include:

Age

You cannot avoid it, but getting older is the biggest risk. Most diagnoses happen after age 65.

Family history

If a biological parent or sibling has it, you may be more likely to get it, too.

Down syndrome

The condition increases your risk of getting symptoms, especially at an earlier age.

Heart and blood vessel problems

Conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking can damage blood vessels. Poor blood flow and strokes can increase your risk as well.

Race and ethnicity

Black adults are about twice as likely, and Hispanic adults are about 1.5 times more likely than white adults to develop dementia.

Serious brain injury

A severe head injury and loss of consciousness during your life can raise your risk.