Previous research has linked midlife depression to a higher risk of dementia, but it has been unclear whether certain depressive symptoms drive this association. To address this gap, researchers examined the relationship between individual depressive symptoms and dementia risk in 5,811 adults aged 35 to 55 years, using the 30-item General Health Questionnaire. During a mean follow-up of 22.6 years, 10.1% of participants developed dementia.
Six specific depressive symptoms were significantly associated with an increased risk: “Not able to face up to problems” (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.49), “Not feeling warmth and affection for others” (HR: 1.44), “Nervous and strung-up all the time” (HR: 1.34), “Not satisfied with the way tasks are carried out” (HR: 1.33), and “Difficulties concentrating” (HR: 1.29). These associations remained significant after adjusting for established dementia risk…
