Loneliness increases risk of dementia by 31%… Also linked to cognitive impairment ｜Dong-A Ilbo

Dementia is one of the most feared diseases of today’s people. Anyone who feels lonely needs to quickly find a way to find relief. This is because a large study of over 600,000 people found that loneliness increased the risk of developing dementia by 31%.

Researchers noted that loneliness is a major factor in cognitive decline and increases the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The effect of loneliness on cognitive decline was independent of age and gender.

This study, led by researchers at Florida State University (FSU) in the United States, analyzed data from more than 600,000 people to measure the relationship between loneliness and depression. This is the largest study of its kind in this area, the researchers said.

Researchers who performed a meta-analysis of 21 longitudinal studies (a method of observing and re-examining the characteristics of study subjects over a period of time) concluded that feeling lonely increases the risk of dementia by 31 %, and they reported this in the academic journal ‘Nature of Mental Health’.

“These results are not surprising, given the growing evidence regarding the negative health effects of loneliness,” said Martina Lucetti, associate professor of behavioral and social therapy, who led the study. diverse starting from . It is important to continue to study the relationship between loneliness and various psychological outcomes or symptoms. Loneliness, which is unsatisfied with social relationships, can affect cognitive functioning and daily life,” the FSU news release said.

The analysis showed that loneliness was a major risk factor for cognitive impairment regardless of age or gender. Loneliness has also been linked to certain causes of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and to cognitive impairment that may occur before diagnosis.

“It is important to understand why and under what conditions loneliness increases the risk of dementia later in life,” said Professor Lucchetti. “Now that there is clear evidence of the link between loneliness, it is important to understand the causes of loneliness in order to prevent or manage it and to support the well-being and mental health of older people.”

Other research suggests that chronic loneliness can affect brain structure and function. However, the cause is still not clearly understood. However, the stress response caused by isolation leads to immune system activation and an increase in inflammatory chemicals, and if this condition continues, it can damage damage to nerve cells and decline in brain health taking into account this fact.

The most common way to overcome chronic loneliness is to make new friends. Experts advise creating situations where you can work with many people through opportunities such as art classes, exercise clubs, and volunteer work. If you can share your identity with the people involved, you will see a big impact, but if not, it is indicated as a limitation that it is very small.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is also recommended.