Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Appetite and Weight Loss Symptoms in Late-Life Depression Predict Dementia Outcomes.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Saha, S; Hatch, DJ; Hayden, KM; Steffens, DC; Potter, GG
Published in: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
October 2016

OBJECTIVE: Identify depression symptoms during active late-life depression (LLD) that predict conversion to dementia. METHODS: The authors followed a cohort of 290 participants from the Neurocognitive Outcomes of Depression in the Elderly study. All participants were actively depressed and cognitively normal at enrollment. Depression symptom factors were derived from prior factor analysis: anhedonia and sadness, suicidality and guilt, appetite and weight loss, sleep disturbance, and anxiety and tension. Cox regression analysis modeled time to Alzheimer disease (AD) and non-AD dementia onset on depression symptom factors, along with age, education, sex, and race. Significant dementia predictors were tested for interaction with age at depression onset. RESULTS: Higher scores on the appetite and weight loss symptom factor were associated with an increased hazard of both AD and non-AD dementia. This factor was moderated by age at first depression onset, such that higher scores were associated with higher risk of non-AD dementia when depression first occurred earlier in life. Other depression symptom factors and overall depression severity were not related to risk of AD or non-AD dementia. CONCLUSION: Results suggest greater appetite/weight loss symptoms in active episodes of LLD are associated with increased likelihood of AD and non-AD dementia, but possibly via different pathways moderated by age at first depression onset. Results may help clinicians identify individuals with LLD at higher risk of developing AD and non-AD dementia and design interventions that reduce this risk.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1545-7214

Publication Date

October 2016

Volume

24

Issue

10

Start / End Page

870 / 878

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Suicidal Ideation
  • Sleep Wake Disorders
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Late Onset Disorders
  • Humans
  • Guilt
  • Geriatrics
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Saha, S., Hatch, D. J., Hayden, K. M., Steffens, D. C., & Potter, G. G. (2016). Appetite and Weight Loss Symptoms in Late-Life Depression Predict Dementia Outcomes. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 24(10), 870–878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2016.05.004
Saha, Sayoni, Daniel J. Hatch, Kathleen M. Hayden, David C. Steffens, and Guy G. Potter. “Appetite and Weight Loss Symptoms in Late-Life Depression Predict Dementia Outcomes.Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 24, no. 10 (October 2016): 870–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2016.05.004.
Saha S, Hatch DJ, Hayden KM, Steffens DC, Potter GG. Appetite and Weight Loss Symptoms in Late-Life Depression Predict Dementia Outcomes. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Oct;24(10):870–8.
Saha, Sayoni, et al. “Appetite and Weight Loss Symptoms in Late-Life Depression Predict Dementia Outcomes.Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, vol. 24, no. 10, Oct. 2016, pp. 870–78. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2016.05.004.
Saha S, Hatch DJ, Hayden KM, Steffens DC, Potter GG. Appetite and Weight Loss Symptoms in Late-Life Depression Predict Dementia Outcomes. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2016 Oct;24(10):870–878.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1545-7214

Publication Date

October 2016

Volume

24

Issue

10

Start / End Page

870 / 878

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Weight Loss
  • Suicidal Ideation
  • Sleep Wake Disorders
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Late Onset Disorders
  • Humans
  • Guilt
  • Geriatrics