Without Effexor depression could lead to dementia in older patients

Recent research suggests that adults with major depressive disorder might want to consider taking a Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) like Effexor to treat their depression. A number of these studies show that late-life depression could increase one's risk of dementia.

The research
A 2011 study from the University of Washington found an association between . The research followed 3,410 participants for several years. The participants were 65 years or older and did not have dementia at the start of the study. About 9 percent of those in the followed had significant signs of depression while 21 percent reported a history of this mental illness.

After an average follow-up of seven years, around 19 percent of participants had dementia. Researchers found that those who had late-life depression were at greater risk for dementia, as opposed to those with a history of depression before age 50. This information suggests that the two are related. However, researchers caution that the opposite might be true: Depression can also be a sign of dementia.

Other studies have shown this correlation as well. A 2010 review of the literature published in the Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences found that there is a in older adults, though they assert that more research must be done to find the exact connection. A 2013 study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and published in The British Journal of Psychiatry found an in adults with late-life depression.

Alzheimer's and depression
Similarly, a 2006 study in the Archives of General Psychiatry by researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine found that patients with Alzheimer's disease who had a history of depression experienced and a more rapid decline in cognitive ability. These symptoms were associated with more neuropathological changes as evidences by more plaques and tangles on the hippocampus.

How Effexor can help
Effexor is a SNRI that works by blocking the absorption of serotonin and norepinephrine, changing the balance of chemicals in the brain to boost one's mood. Many doctors prescribe Effexor for depression in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy. 

Older adults diagnosed with depression can buy Effexor at a Canadian online pharmacy for a discounted rate.