Why does depression increase the risk of dementia?

VIA: "Super Dal of"

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Studies have found that those who have been diagnosed with mental disorders-such as anxiety, depression, or bilateral emotional disorders-compared with those who do not have such diagnosis, the ratio of dementia is four times. For those who have mental illness (such as schizophrenia), this ratio is six times.

Age is the biggest risk factor for dementia, and the chances of every five years after the age of 65 will double. However, for a specific person, many things will affect these chances. Genetic fragility is a factor, as well as the so -called changing risk factors, such as smoking, cardiovascular disease, social isolation, and hearing and visual damage.

Some mental conditions, especially depression and schizophrenia, are also related to dementia. However, because depression itself may be a sign of the decline in cognitive ability, causality has always been a bit blurred.

VIA: "Super Dal of"

Earlier this year, a data analysis from New Zealand provided the most convincing evidence so far to connect a variety of mental illness with dementia. This study has raised some important issues, that is, the reasons for the increase in risks, and what measures can be taken to reduce this risk.

The research surveyed the health records of 1.7 million New Zealanders born from 1928 to 1967, covering the 30 years as of the mid -2018. Studies have found that those who have been diagnosed with mental disorders-such as anxiety, depression, or bilateral emotional disorders-compared with those who do not have such diagnosis, the ratio of dementia is four times. For those who have mental illness (such as schizophrenia), this ratio is six times. Among people with dementia, people with mental disorders have been affected by the average of 5 to 6 years earlier.

VIA: "Super Dal of"

The study did not study biology, society or other reasons that increased risks, but pointed out several possible explanations of dementia. "The main author of the study, Leah Richmond-RAKERD, psychologist at the University of Michigan, said:" There may be a common genetic risk factors. "

Recent studies have found that genetic marks related to Alzheimer's disease have a certain overlap with genetic marks related to bipolar disorders and severe depression. Long-term use of psychiatric drugs may also play a role in dementia, but Leah Richmond-RAKERD and her co-author believe that this is not a major factor.

They suspect that a more important risk factor is chronic pressure related to mental illness, which may reduce brain health over time. The research on animals and human anatomy have linked chronic pressure with the nerve connection of the hippocampus of the brain memory center, and this is the hardest hit area for Alzheimer's disease.

Steven Arnold, Neurologists and dementia researchers at the University of Harvard University, said with evidence that stress promotes inflammation and immune disorders of the body and the brain, affecting the connection of the brain. "If you have less connection and synapses due to stress at the beginning, then you cannot afford to lose so much connection and synapses with your age, and then you start to show that we may call it dementia. s things."

In other words, people with mental illness may have less "cognitive reserves", which is sufficient to withstand the brain power of normal aging without obvious functional losses.

VIA: "Super Dal of"

Richmond-RAKERD said that the fragility of this crowd may also be related to their discovery of more sad life, whether it is physical or social. "They may reduce exercise, or drink excessive alcohol, or it is difficult to maintain social connection. All of them will increase the risk of dementia. People with certain mental illness often have higher smoking rates and less educational periods of education. This is also a risk factor.

Is it possible to reduce the risk of dementia? Researchers tend to give positive answers.

In 2020, the British Liuye Duster Devilization Prevention Committee estimates that if society can better solve 12 changing risk factors, including social psychological factors such as depression, bad society support, and low education levels, every Four of the 10 cases can be prevented or delayed.

Some of these factors may explain why the incidence of dementia in high -income countries has fallen by 15%every decade in the past 30 years. "We think there are two main reasons: we think there are two main reasons: better cardiovascular risk factor control and great improvement of education." He is the deputy director of health and retirement research. One of the work.

LANGA and other researchers said that in an ideal world, the efforts of dementia prevention will be vigorously investing in education and instilling health habits from childhood. In the treatment of depression and other mental illness, these diseases often occur in teenagers and early adults.

Sadly, we did not live in this ideal world; mental illness is still stigmatized and we cannot get sufficient treatment.However, considering the high cost of society and personal losses caused by mental illness and dementia, it is difficult to imagine that there will be more wise investment.VIA: "Super Dal of"

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