A review of 21 long-term studies involving more than six million participants worldwide found that loneliness is a major risk factor that increases the risk. dementia More than 30 percent, regardless of age or gender. This study was published in the journal Nature Mental Health.

Loneliness, in which a person feels dissatisfied with their social relationships, was also associated with symptoms that preceded the stage of dementia diagnosis, such as cognitive impairment or decline. Both conditions affect decision making, memory, and thought processes. However, the symptoms of dementia can be severe enough to interfere with one’s daily functioning.

The psychological state of feeling isolated from society is now widely considered a risk factor for poor health, although studies have shown that loneliness may not directly cause disease.

“Dementia is a spectrum, with neuropathological changes that begin decades before clinical onset,” said Martina Luchetti, assistant professor at Florida State University and lead author of the study. It is important to continue studying the links of loneliness with various cognitive outcomes or symptoms across this spectrum.

The Alzheimer’s Association defines dementia as “Dementia is not a single disease. It is an overall term to describe a collection of symptoms that a person may experience when living with a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Diseases classified under the general term “dementia” are caused by abnormal changes in the brain that cause a decline in thinking skills, also known as cognitive abilities, which impairs daily living and independent functioning. Pretty serious to do.

Aspects of psychological well-being such as a lack of purpose in life or feeling like there are fewer opportunities for personal growth were seen to decline significantly three to six years before the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment.

The study found that loneliness increased the overall risk of dementia by 30 percent, Alzheimer’s disease by 39 percent, vascular dementia by 73 percent, and cognitive impairment by 15 percent.

Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the accumulation of proteins in the brain, which is believed to cause cell death, while vascular dementia is caused by damage to the brain’s blood vessels.

Luchetti said the findings could help identify sources of loneliness to support the well-being and cognitive health of aging adults. The authors acknowledged that the study largely included subjects from the Western world. He called for future research to look at data from other countries, including low-income countries, where cases of aging-related conditions are increasing. “We know that the incidence of dementia is increasing in low-income countries,” Luchetti said. Future studies need to gather more data from countries to evaluate what the effects of loneliness are in different national and cultural contexts.

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