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Because late-onset depression is associated with white-matter hyperintensities and other vascular brain abnormalities, cerebrovascular disease has been hypothesized as a cause. In this Dutch prospective study, investigators examined whether extracerebral vascular disease (a proposed proxy measure of cerebrovascular disease) predicts later depression. The 3564 participants (mean age, 72) had no depression at baseline and were part of a larger study of risk factors for chronic diseases. At baseline, participants underwent measurement of carotid artery plaque and intima–media thickness, aortic calcification, and ankle-brachial blood pressure (a measure of peripheral artery disease). A subset also had coronary artery calcification measured.
Depr…