A review of 21 long-term studies involving over six lakh participants worldwide has found that loneliness is a major risk factor that increases the risk of dementia by over 30 per cent, regardless of age or gender. The study was published in the journal Nature Mental Health. Loneliness which involves one feeling dissatisfied with their social relationships was also linked with symptoms preceding the stage of being diagnosed with dementia, such as cognitive impairment or decline.
Both conditions affect decision-making, memory and thought processes. However, dementia’s symptoms are severe enough to interfere with one’s daily functioning. The psychological state of feeling disconnected from society is now widely regarded as a risk factor for ill health, even though studies have shown that loneliness cannot directly cause the disease.
Martina Luchetti, an assistant professor at Florida State University, and lead author of the study said, “Dementia is spectrum, with neuropathological changes that start decades before clinical onset. It is important to continue studying the link of loneliness with different cognitive outcomes or symptoms across this spectrum.” Alzheimer’s Association defines dementia as “Dementia is not a single disease.
It's an overall term to describe a collection of symptoms that one may experience if they are living with a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Diseases grouped under the general term "dementia" are caused by abnormal br.