Depression is an equal opportunity offender: No matter your age, socioeconomic status, sex or education level you’re not immune to occasional or chronic depression.
But depression has also become an increasingly common problem for older adults. In fact, more than six million people deal with late-in-life depression. So you’re not alone if depression strikes during what are supposed to be your “golden years.”
But if you notice that you’re feeling depressed more and more as you get older, you may want to give it some serious attention. Because, it turns out, depression can also be a precursor to a much more serious age-related condition: dementia.
Depression has long been linked to a host of health problems, but perhaps none are as intricately intertwined as depression and dementia. People with dementia are more likely to be depressed, and understandably so. But are people with depression more likely to develop dementia?
The answer is yes. Research shows that people with higher levels of depression are more likely to get a dementia diagnosis. Their thinking and memory also declines more quickly.
This begs the question whether this pre-dementia depression is simply caused by dementia-related brain changes that occur before you get a formal dementia diagnosis. In other words… is depression the first official symptom of dementia?
But researchers have insisted that the depression that precedes dementia is not merely a symptom of under-the-radar dementia that’s waiting to be diagnosed. It’s actually a risk factor for dementia. That means depression is not necessarily an indication that you’re already developing dementia — but instead depression is a condition that makes your more likely to develop it.
That’s good news — because it’s a warning you can heed and make changes that can turn your brain health around before it’s too late. To do so, you need to be on the lookout for a specific pattern that could indicate pre-dementia…
The most recent research shows that depression symptoms that steadily increase over time increase your risk of dementia by a whopping 22 percent. So if you’re already experiencing this type of depression, the kind that started out gradually and seems to have increased in severity, your best bet is to take action now to decrease your risk.…
That means throwing everything research has found can help you brain at the problem. Fortunately many brain-boosting nutrients have been found to have a powerful effect, capable of alleviating the symptoms of both dementia and depression. Nutrients that can help you stimulate your brain cells and prevent depression and dementia include vitamin D, B-12, folic acid and omega-3 fatty acids.
Exercise, especially walking or biking, is also proven to ward off depression and dementia. So while you’re pumping up your intake of brain-boosting vitamins, it also wouldn’t hurt to get your heart pumping too.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160429192926.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140730161525.htm
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160503072553.htm
http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_statistics_depression
