Dementia is a health problem that many elderly people face. It may creep up on you slowly, with the effects showing when the disease has progressed significantly. Experts have not been able to attribute a single cause for this condition. Now researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine say that being persistently lonely during midlife appears to make people more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) later in life. The journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia published this study, which also indicates that people who recover from loneliness appear to be less likely to suffer from dementia.
Loneliness leads to a range of negative health outcomes
According to the researchers, whereas persistent loneliness is a threat to brain health, psychological resilience following adverse life experiences may explain why transient loneliness is protective in the context of dementia onset. Loneliness is a subjective feeling resulting from a perceived discrepancy between desired and actual social relationships. Although loneliness does not itself have the status of a clinical disease, it is associated with a range of negative health outcomes, including sleep disorders, depression, cognitive impairment, and stroke.
Transient loneliness liked to lower risk of dementia
For the purpose of the study, the team of researchers examined data involving cognitively normal adults. They investigated whether persistent loneliness more strongly predicted the future development of dementia and AD than transient loneliness. They wanted to see whether this relationship was independent from depression and established genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, such as the Apolipoprotein e4 (APOE e4) allele. After taking the effects of age, sex, education, social network, living alone, physical health and genetic risk into account, persistent loneliness was associated with higher risk, whereas transient loneliness was linked to lower risk of dementia and AD onset after 18 years, compared with no loneliness.
Recognise persistent loneliness to nip it at the bud
Loneliness is not something that anyone would like to impose on themselves. But sometimes, circumstances may be such that it can become a part of your life. When it continues over a long period of time, it can be called chronic or persistent loneliness. You can recognize this kind of loneliness from the following symptoms.
- Concentration issues and sleep disorders that refuse to get resolved
- A pronounced lack of energy as well as a significant decrease in appetite
- Feelings of worthlessness, and hopelessness and unexplained anxiety or feelings of restlessness
- Frequent illness and unexplained body aches and pains
- Impulsive actions and compulsive decisions as well as substance misuse
- Self-indulgence
What you can do to prevent it
With the threat of dementia looming large as a result of persistent loneliness, you need to get yourself out of this trap. Make a conscious effort to meet more people. Keep in touch with family and friends and get out of the house even if to just go for a walk. A pet also helps a lot. You can also develop a hobby or volunteer for some social work. Learn to enjoy your own company too. These are small steps that can help you get over your feelings of loneliness.
(With inputs from IANS)
Published : March 25, 2021 4:40 pm | Updated:March 26, 2021 10:07 am
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