Association between depression and young-onset dementia in middle-aged women

Dementia is associated with older adults; however, it can also affect younger individuals, known as young-onset dementia (YOD), when diagnosed before the age of 65 years. We aimed to conduct a retrospective cohort study involving middle-aged women to investigate the association between premorbid depression and YOD development.

We included 1.6 million women aged 40–60 years who underwent health checkups under the Korean National Health Insurance Service and investigated the association between depression and YOD.

Women with depression had a significantly higher risk of developing YOD than women without depression. Among premenopausal women, those with depression had a 2.67-fold increased risk, whereas postmenopausal women with depression had a 2.50-fold increased risk. Late age at menarche (> 16 years) and young age at menopause (< 40 years) was associated with an increased risk of YOD.

Depression in middle-aged women is a significant risk factor for the development of YOD. Understanding the role of reproductive factors can aid in the development of targeted therapeutic interventions to prevent or delay YOD.