New research indicates controlling depression can help address onset
of dementia
The link between depression and dementia has always been unclear, but a new study supports the
theory that depression increases dementia risk. According to a report on CNN, the findings,
published in the journal Neurology, are based on nearly 1,000 people who were studied for up to
17 years. Researchers evaluated them for depression and dementia using standard clinical tests.
Those who were depressed when first examined almost doubled their risk for dementia and also
increased their risk for Alzheimer's disease.
"This is probably the best in terms of long-term follow study that I've seen in terms of
associating dementia with depression," said Dr. Richard Isaacson, associate professor of
neurology at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine, who was not involved with
the research.
Previous research has also examined depression and dementia, but results have been inconsistent,
perhaps because participants were not followed for long enough, said lead author Jane
Saczynski, associate professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical
School. The average age of people that Saczynski's study looked at was 79 years old.
The study did not figure out if depression causes dementia, or if something else is involved. That
means people with depression are not necessarily destined to get dementia, said Adam Brickman,
assistant professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Medical Center, who did not
conduct this study.
From a practical standpoint, people with depression should be treated, and those who have
depression later in life should also be screened for dementia by a neurologist, Isaacson said.
"The earlier we diagnose, the earlier we can treat, and, in my clinical experience, the earlier we
treat, the better patients will do," he said.
Exercise and social engagement have been shown to protect against dementia in other research.
Given that depressed people tend to be less active and more withdrawn, these habits could
influence the development of dementia, Saczynski said.
Other lifestyle factors have been associated with staving off dementia, such as eating foods rich
in omega-3 fatty acids, controlling cholesterol, abstaining from smoking and, for diabetics,
controlling blood sugar, Isaacson said. But results are mixed on the dietary supplements front -nothing is certain, experts say.
One of the advantages of having a home care aid is that they can monitor behavior and recognize
depression. Companionship also helps address depression. Ask Assisting Hands about our
dementia and Alzheimer's care programs.
Automated at-home monitoring lowers high blood pressure, study finds
Mike Miliard, Managing Editor of Healthcare IT News reported on a study from Kaiser
Permanente Colorado in collaboration with the American Heart Association and Microsoft. It
followed 348 patients, ages 18 to 85, with uncontrolled high blood pressure. As many as 73
million Americans have hypertension, a leading predictor of heart disease. According to the
American Heart Association, approximately 69 percent of people who have a first attack and 77
percent who have a first stroke suffer from elevated blood pressure levels.
The participants in the study were randomly assigned to a usual care group or a home monitoring
group. All patients had their blood pressure measured in the medical office at the start of the sixmonth study. The usual care group was managed in a typical model that involved checking blood
pressure during office visits.
At the start of the study, the average systolic blood pressure was 149 mm Hg in the home
monitoring group and 145 mm Hg in the usual care group. At six months, patients in the home
monitoring group were 50 percent more likely to have their blood pressure controlled to healthy
levels compared to the usual care group. Similarly, a significantly greater decrease in systolic
blood pressure at six months occurred in the home monitoring group (-21 mm Hg) versus the
usual care group (-9 mm Hg).
Health experts have long known that the current approach to managing hypertension has
shortcomings. Patients often don't comply with in-person visits, and when they do the
measurements can be inconsistent or inaccurate.
In light of this, the American Heart Association recently began recommending home monitoring.
Prior research conducted found that when patients used home monitoring - but were required to
write down and call-in results - blood pressure goals only slightly improved. This latest study
provides an additional layer of automation and convenience by directly feeding the readings
from the home blood pressure cuff to the patient's care team via sophisticated health IT tools.
Our home care aides can assist in helping patients take advantage of this new prevention
technology by scheduling regular blood pressure reminders.