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Themed Content: Neurology & Psychiatry - Review

Nutrition and late-life depression: etiological considerations

    Martha E Payne

    Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Neuropsychiatric Imaging Research Laboratory, Duke University, 2200 West Main Street, Suite B210, Durham, NC 27705, USA.

    Published Online:https://doi.org/10.2217/ahe.09.90

    Depression is a debilitating mental disorder that frequently occurs in older adults, especially in those with vascular diseases. Nutritional factors have the potential to decrease the occurrence of late-life depression but have not been adequately studied. Low folate levels, disturbed omega-3 fatty acid metabolism and obesity have been associated with depression, and may be causal factors. Longitudinal studies are urgently needed in order to examine the potential of dietary factors to prevent late-life depression.

    Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest •• of considerable interest

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