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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #207734
Title: Depression is associated with low plasma Abeta42 independently of cardiovascular disease in the homebound elderly

Author
item QUI, WEI QIAO - TUFTS-NEMC
item SUN, XIAOYAN - TUFTS-NEMC
item SELKOE, DENNIS - HARVARD INST OF MEDICINE
item MWAMBURI, MKAYA - TUFTS UNIVERSITY
item HUANG, TINA - HNRCA AT TUFTS
item BHADELA, REFEEQUE - TUFTS-NEMC
item BERGETHON, PETER - TUFTS-NEMC
item SCOTT, TAMMY - TUFTS-NEMC
item SUMMERGRAD, PAUL - TUFTS-NEMC
item WANG, LIXIA - HNRCA AT TUFTS
item Rosenberg, Irwin
item FOLSTEIN, MARSHALL - TUFTS-NEMC

Submitted to: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/26/2006
Publication Date: 11/10/2006
Citation: Qui, W., Sun, X., Selkoe, D.J., Mwamburi, M.D., Huang, T., Bhadela, R., Bergethon, P., Scott, T., Summergrad, P., Wang, L., Rosenberg, I., Folstein, M. 2006. Depression is associated with low plasma ABeta42 independently of cardiovascular disease in the homebound elderly. The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 22(6):536-42.

Interpretive Summary: Depression often precedes the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) before the appearance of cognitive symptoms. Plasma Amyloid-b peptide 42 (Ab42) declines before and soon after the onset of AD, yet the relationship between plasma Ab42 and depression is unclear. We used 515 homebound elders aged 60 and older in a population-based, cross-sectional study to investigate associations between plasma Abeta levels and depression with and without the effects of one or more types of cardiovascular diseases. Depression was evaluated by using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Plasma Ab40 and Ab42 were measured. The elderly with depression had lower plasma Ab42 than those without depression. The CES-D score was inversely associated with plasma Ab42 in subjects with no cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, in the presence of CVD, this association did not exist. Low plasma Ab42 and the presence of CVD were independently associated with depression after adjusting for the variables of age, stroke and apolipoprotein E4. Depressive symptoms are associated with low plasma Ab42 independently of CVD. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether depression associated with low plasma Ab42 is a separate depression subtype that could predict the onset of AD.

Technical Abstract: Depression often precedes the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) before the appearance of cognitive symptoms. Plasma Amyloid-b peptide 42 (Ab42) declines before and soon after the onset of AD, yet the relationship between plasma Ab42 and depression is unclear. We used 515 homebound elders aged 60 and older in a population-based, cross-sectional study to investigate associations between plasma Abeta levels and depression with and without cardiovascular co-morbidities. Depression was evaluated by using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. Plasma Ab40 and Ab42 were measured. The elderly with depression had lower plasma Ab42 (median: 15.3 vs. 18.9, p1/4 0.008) than those without depression. The CES-D score was inversely associated with plasma Ab42 ( p1/4 0.001) in subjects with no cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, in the presence of CVD, this association did not exist. Low plasma Ab42 (OR1/4 0.41, p1/4 0.007) and the presence of CVD (OR1/4 1.84, p1/4 0.005) were independently associated with depression after adjusting for the confounders of age, stroke and apolipoprotein E4. Depressive symptoms are associated with low plasma Ab42 independently of CVD. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether depression associated with low plasma Ab42 is a separate depression subtype that could predict the onset of AD.