Osteosarcopenia as a risk factor for depression: Longitudinal findings from the SHARE study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Osteosarcopenia (osteoporosis and sarcopenia) and depression are common in older adults.
• The relationship between osteosarcopenia and depression remains largely unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between osteosarcopenia and incident depression in a large, representative sample of older adults.
• To determine if osteosarcopenia predicts the development of depression over a 12-year period.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the SHARE study, including 16,452 participants (mean age 63.7).
• Defined osteosarcopenia by the presence of both osteoporosis and sarcopenia.
• Assessed depressive symptoms using the EURO-D scale and analyzed the association with incident depression via Cox regression, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• Over 12 years, 31.1% of participants developed depression.
• Individuals with osteosarcopenia had a higher incidence of depression (over 50%) compared to controls (25%).
• Sarcopenia (HR=1.17) and osteosarcopenia (HR=1.27) were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression after adjustment.

Conclusions:

• A significant association exists between osteosarcopenia and depression over 12 years, primarily driven by sarcopenia.
• These findings suggest that targeting individuals with osteosarcopenia could be a strategy for depression prevention.
• Further research is needed to confirm these associations and inform clinical practice.