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Background: The association between depression and dementia is still unclear, particularly regarding depression as a potential risk factor preceding dementia. Therefore, we aimed to verify if the presence of depression at baseline may increase the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment during 15 years of follow‐up in the SHARE (Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe) study. Methods: Depressive symptoms were defined using the EURO‐D, with a score ≥4 indicative of depression. Incident dementia was ascertained using self‐reported data and caregivers' information, cognitive impairment using objective cognitive tests. Cox regression analysis, adjusted for 10 baseline confounders, was run and hazard ratios (HRs), with their 95% confidence intervals, were estimated. Results: In total 22,789 participants were included in the present analysis (mean age 64.2 years) and were predominantly female. The prevalence of depression at baseline was 24.9%. Over 15 years of follow‐up, the onset of dementia occurred a median 2 years earlier in people with depression compared to those without. Depression at the baseline significantly increased the risk of dementia in the overall sample (HR = 1.74; 95% CI: 1.54–1.95) and the risk of cognitive impairment (HR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.06–1.25). For dementia, the association was stronger in people less than 60 years (HR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.42–3.02) than in participants aged ≥80 years (HR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.14–1.91). A similar trend was observed for cognitive impairment. Among the single items of the EURO‐D, loss of concentration was the strongest individual variable predicting the onset of dementia. Conclusions: Depression increased the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, particularly in younger adults, whereas loss of concentration was the strongest individual predicting variable of dementia. These findings demonstrate the need for early detection of depression for preventing future cognitive worsening. Key points: Depression is a common condition. Its role as a potential risk factor for dementia has been explored in several studies, but these have limitations, for example, differences in study population, insufficient numbers of younger patients, limited follow‐up duration, and differences in the assessment of depression and dementia.Our study, carried out using data from the SHARE project, showed that the presence of depression at baseline increased the risk of dementia by 74% and of cognitive impairment of 15%. The effect was stronger when considering young‐age depression. Among the single items of the questionnaire proposed for assessing depression, loss of concentration showed the strongest association.Our study indicates that depression may be associated with dementia and cognitive impairment in later life. Therefore, in the early recognition of depression we should remember that cognitive aspects are of critical importance for better individualizing pharmacological and non‐pharmacological approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium is an essential ion in the human body that regulates numerous physiological and pathological processes. Magnesium deficiency is very common in old age. Age-related chronic diseases and the aging process itself are frequently associated with low-grade chronic inflammation, called 'inflammaging'. Because chronic magnesium insufficiency has been linked to excessive generation of inflammatory markers and free radicals, inducing a chronic inflammatory state, we formerly hypothesized that magnesium inadequacy may be considered among the intermediaries helping us explain the link between inflammaging and aging-associated diseases. We show in this review evidence of the relationship of magnesium with all the hallmarks of aging (genomic instability, telomere attrition, epigenetic alterations, loss of proteostasis, deregulated nutrient sensing, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, stem cell exhaustion, altered intercellular communication, disabled autophagy, dysbiosis, and chronic inflammation), which may positively affect the human healthspan. It is feasible to hypothesize that maintaining an optimal balance of magnesium during one's life course may turn out to be a safe and economical strategy contributing to the promotion of healthy aging. Future well-designed studies are necessary to further explore this hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aging process is complex, comprising various contributing factors influencing late-life conditions and eventual occurrence of chronic diseases that generate high financial and human costs. These factors include genetic proneness, lifestyle conducted throughout life, environmental conditions, as well as dietary aspects, among others, all together modulating precise pathways linked to aging, making longevity a multidimensional event. Summary: Compelling evidence support the concept that nutritional determinants have major impact on the risk of age-associated non-communicable diseases as well as mortality. Nutrition research has turned in recent years from considering isolated nutrients or foods to focusing on combinations of foods in dietary patterns in relation to their associations with health outcomes. This narrative review focuses attention on dietary patterns that may contribute to healthy or unhealthy aging and longevity with examples of traditional dietary patterns associated with healthy longevity and reviewing the association of healthy plant-based and unhealthy ultra-processed diets with frailty, a condition that may be considered a hallmark of unhealthy aging. Key Message: There is currently accumulated evidence confirming the key role that dietary patterns mainly of plant origin may exert in modifying the risk of age-associated chronic diseases and healthy longevity. These types of dietary models, unlike those in which the use of ultra-processed food is frequent, are associated with a reduced risk of frailty and, consequently, with healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Existing literature suggests that sarcopenia is a highly prevalent condition in older people. However, most studies to date reporting data on its prevalence have been mainly carried out in Western countries, while data on sarcopenia in Africa is scarce. With this systematic review and meta‐analysis, we aimed to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in African countries and to explore potential factors that could explain higher or lower prevalence of this condition in Africa. Methods: Major databases for studies reporting data on sarcopenia in African countries were searched from inception to June 2023. We conducted a meta-analysis of the prevalence [and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs)] of sarcopenia in Africa, applying a random effect model. Several sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were run. Results: Among 147 articles initially screened, six articles (with seven cohorts) including a total of 10,656 participants were included. Mean age of participants was 66.9 years, and the majority were female (58.1%). The weighted prevalence of sarcopenia in the selected countries of Africa was 25.72% (95%CI: 18.90–32.55). This outcome was characterized by a high heterogeneity (I2 = 99%) and by publication bias. Among the factors investigated, sarcopenia was lower when assessed using only one anthropometric measure, or in South Africa. Conclusion: Sarcopenia is a prevalent condition in Africa and thus research regarding this topic is a public health priority. Future studies that cover African countries for which data are not available and using standardized criteria are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]