Living alone linked to higher dementia risk

In a new study, researchers found people over 55 who live alone are 30% more likely to develop dementia than those who live with others.

The findings suggest that social isolation could be a greater risk factor for dementia than previously believed.

The research was conducted by a team at UCL and elsewhere.

The research team reviewed evidence from 12 studies in seven countries in Europe and Asia, which pulled together data from 21,666 people aged over 55.

They used living alone as a proxy measure for social isolation, which can be difficult to quantify.

While only three of the studies had found that living alone was strongly linked to increased risk of dementia, by combining the results from the 12 studies, the researchers were able to increase the power of the analysis.

As a result, they were better able to detect the effect of living alone and subsequent risk of dementia, concluding there was a strong link between the two.

A previous study had calculated that if social isolation could be eliminated entirely, then dementia cases could be reduced by 5.9%.

This study updates that figure to 8.9%, when using living alone as a proxy measure for social isolation.

It suggests that social isolation could be a larger contributor to dementia risk across the population than physical inactivity, hypertension, diabetes, or obesity.

The study doesn’t explain why living alone is a risk factor for dementia but there are several plausible explanations.

The team says it might be because people who live alone experience more loneliness or more stress, both of which can have adverse physical health effects, or it may be due to a lack of cognitive stimulation which is needed to maintain neural connections.

The current findings suggest that low social contact could have serious implications for dementia rates, especially as dementia rates are already rising due to aging populations.

Identifying lifestyle factors that affect dementia risk is not only important for prevention, but also for dementia care, as evidence suggests that even after people begin experiencing dementia symptoms, lifestyle changes can still slow the rate of cognitive decline.

One author of the study is Dr. Roopal Desai (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences).

The study is published in Ageing Research Reviews.

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