Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Risk of depression in persons with Alzheimer's disease : A national cohort study

Crump, Casey LU ; Sieh, Weiva ; Vickrey, Barbara G. ; Edwards, Alexis C. LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2024) In Alzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring 16(2).
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Depression is a risk factor and possible prodromal symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but little is known about subsequent risk of developing depression in persons with AD. METHODS: National matched cohort study was conducted of all 129,410 persons diagnosed with AD and 390,088 with all-cause dementia during 1998–2017 in Sweden, and 3,900,880 age- and sex-matched controls without dementia, who had no prior depression. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for major depression through 2018. RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of major depression was 13% in persons with AD and 3% in controls. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, risk of major depression was greater than two-fold higher in... (More)

INTRODUCTION: Depression is a risk factor and possible prodromal symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but little is known about subsequent risk of developing depression in persons with AD. METHODS: National matched cohort study was conducted of all 129,410 persons diagnosed with AD and 390,088 with all-cause dementia during 1998–2017 in Sweden, and 3,900,880 age- and sex-matched controls without dementia, who had no prior depression. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for major depression through 2018. RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of major depression was 13% in persons with AD and 3% in controls. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, risk of major depression was greater than two-fold higher in women with AD (HR, 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.11–2.32) or men with AD (2.68; 2.52–2.85), compared with controls. Similar results were found for all-cause dementia. DISCUSSION: Persons diagnosed with AD or related dementias need close follow-up for timely detection and treatment of depression. Highlights: In a large cohort, women and men with AD had >2-fold subsequent risk of depression. Risks were highest in the first year (>3-fold) but remained elevated ≥3 years later. Risk of depression was highest in persons aged ≥85 years at AD diagnosis. Persons with AD need close follow-up for detection and treatment of depression.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Alzheimer disease, cohort studies, dementia, depression, mental health
in
Alzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring
volume
16
issue
2
article number
e12584
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:38623385
  • scopus:85190305762
ISSN
2352-8729
DOI
10.1002/dad2.12584
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b79b5755-6549-4bed-9a50-cf3e9a10e88c
date added to LUP
2025-01-10 13:54:49
date last changed
2025-07-12 05:15:05
@article{b79b5755-6549-4bed-9a50-cf3e9a10e88c,
  abstract     = {{<p>INTRODUCTION: Depression is a risk factor and possible prodromal symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but little is known about subsequent risk of developing depression in persons with AD. METHODS: National matched cohort study was conducted of all 129,410 persons diagnosed with AD and 390,088 with all-cause dementia during 1998–2017 in Sweden, and 3,900,880 age- and sex-matched controls without dementia, who had no prior depression. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for major depression through 2018. RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of major depression was 13% in persons with AD and 3% in controls. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, risk of major depression was greater than two-fold higher in women with AD (HR, 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.11–2.32) or men with AD (2.68; 2.52–2.85), compared with controls. Similar results were found for all-cause dementia. DISCUSSION: Persons diagnosed with AD or related dementias need close follow-up for timely detection and treatment of depression. Highlights: In a large cohort, women and men with AD had &gt;2-fold subsequent risk of depression. Risks were highest in the first year (&gt;3-fold) but remained elevated ≥3 years later. Risk of depression was highest in persons aged ≥85 years at AD diagnosis. Persons with AD need close follow-up for detection and treatment of depression.</p>}},
  author       = {{Crump, Casey and Sieh, Weiva and Vickrey, Barbara G. and Edwards, Alexis C. and Sundquist, Jan and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{2352-8729}},
  keywords     = {{Alzheimer disease; cohort studies; dementia; depression; mental health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Alzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring}},
  title        = {{Risk of depression in persons with Alzheimer's disease : A national cohort study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12584}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/dad2.12584}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}