Depressive symptoms, vascular risk factors and mild cognitive impairment. The Italian longitudinal study on aging.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the impact of depressive symptoms on the rate of incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) after a 3.5-year follow-up, and we assessed the interaction between depressive symptoms and vascular risk factors for incident MCI.


METHODS
A total of 2,963 individuals from a sample of 5,632 65- to 84-year-old subjects were cognitively and functionally evaluated at the 1st and 2nd surveys of the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a prospective cohort study with a 3.5-year follow-up. MCI and dementia were classified using current clinical criteria. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Geriatric Depression Scale.


RESULTS
Among the 2,963 participants, 139 prevalent MCI cases were diagnosed at the 1st survey. During the 3.5-year follow-up, 105 new events of MCI were diagnosed. We did not observe any significant association between depressive symptoms and incident MCI (RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.85-1.84, chi(2) = 1.30, p < 0.25). No sociodemographic variables or vascular risk factors modified the relationship between depressive symptoms and incident MCI.


CONCLUSIONS
In our population, depressive symptoms were not associated with the rate of incident MCI. Our findings did not support a role of sociodemographic variables or vascular risk factors in the link between depressive symptoms and incident MCI.
Panza
Francesco
F
Department of Geriatrics, Center for Aging Brain, Memory Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. geriat.dot@geriatria.uniba.it
D'Introno
Alessia
A
Colacicco
Anna M
AM
Capurso
Cristiano
C
Del Parigi
Angelo
A
Caselli
Richard J
RJ
Todarello
Orlando
O
Pellicani
Vincenza
V
Santamato
Andrea
A
Scapicchio
Pierluigi
P
Maggi
Stefania
S
Scafato
Emanuele
E
Gandin
Claudia
C
Capurso
Antonio
A
Solfrizzi
Vincenzo
V
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution