People with depression are more likely to later develop Alzheimer's disease, according to two studies published yesterday.
"What we think it suggests is that depression truly is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, and not simply a sign that the disease is developing," said Dr. Robert Wilson, whose study appears in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Wilson's team tracked 917 retired Catholic priests and nuns, 190 of whom developed Alzheimer's disease. Those with more symptoms of depression at the beginning of the study were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease.
The second study, in the journal Neurology, found the risk of Alzheimer's 2.5 times higher among those seeking help for depression.
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