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Loneliness goes beyond the feeling of being alone and isolated. It’s not just the absence of people in one’s life. The emotional need for companionship is unfulfilled. Emotionally, it is very overwhelming, there is an emptiness inside that is difficult to bear. Emptiness is tragic, and the desire for companionship is constant. But there is more to loneliness than emotional longing. It actually negatively impacts brain health, more so than first thought.
Loneliness is now linked to a 31% higher risk of developing dementia, according to the largest study ever conducted on the topic, published in Nature Mental Health. This points to the consequences of loneliness and its role in neurodegenerative disease.
Also read: Lonely and depressed students miss out on a lot; Study reveals emotional benefits they don’t get
Understanding the link between loneliness and dementia
Researchers expanded the understanding of loneliness and examined its connection to dementia. The study is particularly notable because of its large-scale examination of data from 608,561 individuals around the world. Martina Luchetti and her research team conducted the largest meta-analysis to date to assess the association between loneliness and dementia. They also took into account different populations.
This finding is surprising, because people who feel lonely have a 31% higher risk of developing dementia than people who do not feel lonely. This is unprecedented, as the risk factor for loneliness is similar to other commonly known risk factors for dementia, such as smoking or lack of exercise. Loneliness can also be a by-product of social isolation or depression. Researchers also considered physical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, but the independent relationship between loneliness and dementia remained strong. Loneliness in itself can cause cognitive decline.
How loneliness causes dementia
Researchers found that loneliness causes a particular type of dementia—Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The association with vascular dementia is quite strong. The study suggests that this could possibly be because loneliness is also a type of silent stress that takes a toll on heart health. Additionally, in addition to dementia, loneliness also increases the chances of developing mild cognitive problems like memory or problem-solving difficulties by 15%. These issues often occur before dementia, indicating that loneliness may affect thinking skills even earlier.
Elaborating further on the implications of loneliness, the researchers detailed how loneliness results in feeling passive, with very little mental stimulation. It doesn’t take a lot of mental activity to keep the brain healthy. Chronic loneliness is linked to stress and inflammation, which can damage brain cells over time. People living alone sometimes remain inactive for long periods of time, such as not exercising or eating poorly, which can increase the risk of dementia.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you may have about a medical condition.
Also read: Dementia risk factors you can control: Essential lifestyle changes for a healthy brain
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