Over 75,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia

A new study suggests depression means dementia is more likely, although it is not known why. Experts know the two conditions often co-exist, though until now it has not been clear if one leads to the other.

The researchers have stressed that the findings show a link, not a direct cause. The study which followed 949 elderly people for 17 years, showed dementia more often followed a bout of depression. By the end of the study, 164 of the people had developed dementia. Of those, 22 per cent who had depression went on to develop dementia compared to 17 per cent of those who did not have depression.

They believe brain chemistry and lifestyle factors may affect the link between the diseases.

Dr Jane Saczynski of the University of Massachusetts, who led study, said, ‘While it’s unclear if depression causes dementia, there are a number of ways depression might impact the risk of dementia.What this study demonstrates is that depression at a younger age is probably a significant risk factor for dementia’.