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-If it persists for several years and recurs even with mild depression
Significantly high risk of dementia in the future
-Active treatment for old age depression and cognitive function change
Continuous observation is important
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Seoul National University Hospital Operation Seoul Boramae Hospital (President Byung-Kwan Kim) Professor Dae-jong Oh of the Department of Psychiatry and Professor Ki-woong Kim of the Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital A joint research team said that sub-symptomatic depression, which is common in old age, greatly increases the risk of dementia and requires attention. Recently published the research results.
Subsymptomatic depression refers to a relatively mild depression that does not meet the strict diagnostic criteria of major depressive disorder, and it is so common that one in 10 elderly people aged 60 years or older in Korea has it. However, if the symptoms persist, it may adversely affect the elderly’s physical health, daily life maintenance function, cognitive function, and life expectancy, so special attention is required.
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The research team randomly selected 4,456 elderly people aged 60 or older without a history of dementia or depression to analyze the association between sub-symptomatic depression and dementia, and the study changed the subject’s cognitive function every 2 years for a total of 6 years. It was done in a way to follow up.
As a result of the study, the elderly diagnosed with subsymptomatic depression increased the risk of developing dementia within 6 years more than 3 times compared to the normal elderly. In particular, the elderly diagnosed as subsymptomatic depression but with normal cognitive function were rather 6 years. It has been confirmed that my risk of developing dementia increases by a whopping five times.
In particular, if subsymptomatic depression became chronic for 2 years or more or recurred, the risk of developing dementia increased.If chronic subsymptomatic depression was diagnosed in the elderly with normal cognitive function, the risk of developing dementia within 6 years was 12 times or more, and the severity of depression. In the case of worsening, it was found to increase from 15 to 46 times.
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Professor Oh Dae-jong, the lead author of the study, said, “Through this study, we have confirmed that if the symptoms of depression appear in old age, even if the symptoms are mild, if the symptoms persist for a long time, the risk of developing dementia is greatly increased.” Even if there is no abnormality, if mild depression persists or recurs for more than 2 years, or the symptoms worsen, it is necessary to control the depression through a specialist’s treatment and receive regular evaluation of cognitive function.”
On the other hand, this research was conducted as part of the’Prospective Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia in Koreans (KLOSCAD)’, which has been ongoing since 2009 by the National Institute of Health Industry Promotion and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was published in the latest issue of the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
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