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, with a void inside that’s hard to bear. The emptiness is saddening, and there’s a constant longing for companionship. But loneliness has more to it than emotional longing. It actually affects brain health negatively, more than one previously assumed.
According to the largest study ever conducted on the subject, published in Nature Mental Health, loneliness is now linked to a 31% higher risk of developing dementia. It indicates the consequences of loneliness and its role in neurodegenerative disease.
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Understanding the connection between loneliness and dementia
The researchers expanded the understanding of loneliness and examined its relation to dementia. This study is especially noteworthy due to its large-scale examination of data from 608,561 individuals worldwide. Martina Luchetti and her research team conducted the largest meta-analysis ever to assess the link between loneliness and dementia. They factored in different populations as well.
The finding is striking, as people who report feeling lonely are at a whopping 31% higher risk of developing dementia than those who don’t. This is groundbreaking, as the risk factor of loneliness is similar to other commonly known risk factors for dementia, like smoking or lack of exercise. Loneliness can also be a by-product of social isolation or depression. Researchers even considered physical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, but the independent connection between loneliness and dementia remained unwavering. Loneliness on its own can cause cognitive decline.
How loneliness causes dementia
Researchers found that loneliness caused a specific type of dementia- Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. The connection to vascular dementia is substantially strong. The study explained how it could be possibly due to how loneliness is also a type of silent stress thereby overwhelming heart health. Furthermore, other than dementia, loneliness also increased the chance of developing milder cognitive problems, like memory or problem-solving difficulties, by 15%. These issues often occur before dementia, indicating that loneliness can affect thinking skills even earlier.
Explaining further about the implication of loneliness, the researchers elaborated how loneliness feels passive with very low mental stimulation. There’s not much mental activity to keep the brain healthy. Chronic loneliness has been associated with stress and inflammation, which can damage brain cells over time. Lonely people sometimes remain inactive for longer periods like not exercising or eating poorly, which can increase the risk of dementia.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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