Neurological

Persistent loneliness in midlife can lead to later dementia and risk of AD

Subjects ” Alzheimer’s disease and dementia

HealthDay News – Persistent loneliness in middle age is an independent risk factor for later dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in Alzheimer & Dementia.

Samia C. Akhter-Khan from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and colleagues rated the loneliness in cognitively normal middle-aged adults who participated in the Framingham Heart Study using a point on the Depression Scale of the Center for Epidemiological Studies and then tracked future Alzheimer’s disease Disease and dementia.

The researchers found that after adjusting for demographics, social network, physical health, and apolipoprotein E ε4, persistent loneliness was associated with a higher risk of developing dementia (hazard ratio, 1.91) than without loneliness. Temporary loneliness was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia (hazard ratio, 0.34) than no loneliness. The researchers observed similar associations for Alzheimer’s risk and loneliness.

“Our results are consistent with evolutionary theories that suggest that loneliness can be both adaptive and maladaptive for humans, depending on their persistence,” the authors write.

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Alzheimer’s disease and dementia dementia

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