Dementia risk soars if you're hit by mid-life problem that affects 10million Britons, researchers find
In a major study of 2.5million people, British experts discovered that lasting feelings of unhappiness and hopelessness in your 40s and 50s increases the risk of the disease by as much as 56 per cent.
The researchers also identified a significant link between late life depression, where symptoms develop at around 65 years of age or older, and dementia.
Lead author Professor Jacob Brain, from the Institute of Mental Health and School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham said the findings suggested that depression could be a 'warning sign' of upcoming cognitive decline.
'This highlights the importance of recognising and treating depression across the life course, not just for mental health, but also as part of a broader strategy to protect brain health,' he said.
The team said the potential links between depression and dementia are complex, but highlighted chronic inflammation and changes in blood flow to the brain as potential causes for the comorbidity.
It is thought that depression may accelerate the cognitive collapse that is associated with dementia—for instance memory loss, language difficulties and problems with thinking and reasoning.
However, the authors stated that the link between depression and dementia in later life may be because the memory-robbing disease can cause mood problems in its early stages.
Writing in the EClinicalMedicine journal, Prof Brain said: 'Depression in late life may represent an early manifestation of dementia.'
The researchers concluded that early detection and treatment for depression could minimise the risk of dementia onset—and this should be a focus for future research.
They added that further research is needed to confirm whether interventions that promote physical activity and other lifestyle changes to support mental health earlier in life can reduce dementia risk.
However, researchers noted the prevelance of depression among participants may have been overestimated—as not all depressed volunteers were diagnosed by a medical professional.
Around 982,000 people in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, according to Alzheimer's Association.
Dementia is an umbrella term for several diseases—the most common of which is Alzheimer's—that affect memory, thinking and the ability to perform daily activities.
The condition gets worse over time, as the disease attacks nerve cells in the brain, typically leading to the deterioration of cognitive function.
Dementia cases are expected to sky-rocket to 1.4million people by 2040, making early prevention treatments vital to get to grips with the challenge.
The disease cost the UK around £42billion in 2024 alone. The cost of dementia in the UK is forecast to be £90 billion in the next 15 years.
The latest findings come as Spanish scientists recently discovered that upping your exercise quota around middle age could help stave off Alzheimer's disease in later life.
They found that those who increased their activity levels to around two and a half hours a week were less prone to toxic protein amyloid spreading in the brain.
Significant clumps of this protein, along with another, tau, can form plaques and tangles in the brain—which is thought to be behind dementia symptoms.
Experts have warned for years that leading a sedentary lifestyle raises the risk of numerous health problems including weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cancer and even an early grave.
It has been estimated that 13 per cent of all Alzheimer's cases could be linked to physical inactivity.
It comes as a landmark study last year also suggested almost half of all Alzheimer's cases could be prevented by tackling 14 lifestyle factors.
To reduce dementia risk throughout life, the commission also made 13 recommendations for both people and governments.
These include making hearing aids available for all those who need it, reducing harmful noise exposure, and increased detection and treatment access for high cholesterol among the over-40s.
Experts claimed the study, published in the prestigious journal The Lancet, provided more hope than 'ever before' that the memory-robbing disorder that blights the lives of millions can be prevented.
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