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Clinical depression and the presence of the APOE4 risk allele independently add to risk for cognitive decline, but if and how they interact as contributing factors have not previously been examined. In a prospective, population-based study, researchers evaluated depressive symptoms and cognitive functioning in 4150 individuals every 3 years (mean follow-up, 9.2 years; mean baseline age, 72; 70% black; 63% female). Thirty-four percent of participants had at least one APOE4 allele.
At baseline, 43% of participants had no depressive symptoms; 35%, 16%, and 6% were rated, respectively, as mildly, moderately, and severely depressed. Both worse general health and mean baseline scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were linearly associ…