A new study has found that loneliness significantly increases the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and cognitive impairment.
The study, published in Nature Mental Health, combined data from over 600,000 people across 21 international studies and found that feeling lonely boosts the risk of developing all-cause dementia by 31% and cognitive impairment by 15%.
Loneliness was measured through simple questions about the frequency of loneliness and lack of companionship, with participants showing a higher risk of cognitive decline, even after adjusting for other known dementia risk factors like depression, diabetes and obesity.
The study highlights that loneliness doesn't just affect dementia in its later stages, but also appears to influence early cognitive decline, which may precede formal diagnoses of conditions like Alzheimer's. Researchers emphasize the need to address loneliness in efforts to reduce dementia risk.