US researchers have developed a novel tool that can help reduce the onset of depression in individuals over 60.
Researchers from Mass General
Brigham, in collaboration with Yale University, have shown that a higher Brain
Care Score (BCS) is associated with a lower risk of late-life depression.
The findings, published in Frontiers
in Psychiatry, highlight the potential of the BCS in helping patients make
lifestyle changes to improve brain health.
"The Brain Care Score is a
simple tool designed to help anyone in the world answer the question, 'What can
I do to take better care of my brain?'" said Jonathan Rosand, co-founder
of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The study indicates that raising the
BCS can lower the risk of depression, dementia, and stroke.
It also highlights a bright
opportunity to prevent these conditions.
The BCS focuses on modifiable risk
factors: Physical (blood pressure, haemoglobin A1c, cholesterol, BMI),
lifestyle (nutrition, alcohol intake, smoking, physical activity, sleep), and
social/emotional (stress, relationships, life purpose).
The study, based on data from over
350,000 participants, found that a five-point increase in BCS was associated
with a 33 per cent lower risk of late-life depression, although researchers
found a significant link between baseline BCS and depression risk in under-50s,
contrary to expectations.
They are now investigating the
neurobiological basis of this association in younger individuals, although much
remains to be learnt.
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