Depression could increase a person’s risk of developing dementia later in life, which is especially bad news for women who are almost twice as likely to develop the mood disorder as men, reports the Daily Mail.
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Nasreen Khatri at the Baycrest Aging Centre in Toronto, Canada, bouts of depression can double a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, putting older females especially at risk. The mental fogginess that can accompany the clinical disorder in mid-life – while only mild at the time and not itself a form of dementia – can continue even after a person’s mood has improved.
"The fastest-growing segment of the population right now is older women," said Khatri. "So the older a population is, the more depressed people it has in it because it’s the kind of disorder that starts young and keeps going."
All the more reason for sufferers of depression to seek professional help if the symptoms last for more than a few weeks, she urges.