Context: Social isolation in old age has been associated with risk of developing dementia, but the risk associated with perceived isolation, or loneliness, is not well understood.
Objective: To test the hypothesis that loneliness is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer disease (AD).
Design: Longitudinal clinicopathologic cohort study with up to 4 years of annual in-home follow-up.
Participants: A total of 823 older persons free of dementia at enrollment were recruited from senior citizen facilities in and around Chicago, Ill. Loneliness was assessed with a 5-item scale at baseline (mean +/- SD, 2.3 +/- 0.6) and annually thereafter. At death, a uniform postmortem examination of the brain was conducted to quantify AD pathology in multiple brain regions and the presence of cerebral infarctions.
Main Outcome Measures: Clinical diagnosis of AD and change in previously established composite measures of global cognition and specific cognitive functions.
Results: During follow-up, 76 subjects developed clinical AD. Risk of AD was more than doubled in lonely persons (score 3.2, 90th percentile) compared with persons who were not lonely (score 1.4, 10th percentile), and controlling for indicators of social isolation did not affect the finding. Loneliness was associated with lower level of cognition at baseline and with more rapid cognitive decline during follow-up. There was no significant change in loneliness, and mean degree of loneliness during the study was robustly associated with cognitive decline and development of AD. In 90 participants who died and in whom autopsy of the brain was performed, loneliness was unrelated to summary measures of AD pathology or to cerebral infarction.
Conclusion: Loneliness is associated with an increased risk of late-life dementia but not with its leading causes.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.64.2.234 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Translation and Cultural Adaptation of an E-Health Program to Promote Positive Mental Health Among Family Caregivers in Portugal.
Healthcare (Basel)
December 2024
Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC), 3045-043 Coimbra, Portugal.
Caring for a dependent individual, particularly over an extended period, places significant strain on family caregivers, often leading to adverse physical, mental, emotional, social, and economic outcomes for both caregivers and those they care for. Common challenges include anxiety, depression, loneliness, and diminished overall well-being. E-health applications have emerged as effective tools to support family caregivers by promoting positive mental health through online interventions, enhancing problem-solving skills, autonomy, interpersonal relationships, self-control, and a prosocial attitude.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffect of telehealth yoga on loneliness and social isolation among rural older adults: a randomized controlled trial.
Aging Ment Health
January 2025
Integrative Health Service, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California, USA.
Objectives: Loneliness and social isolation are associated with a range of deleterious health outcomes. Yoga is a mind-body physical activity that is used in health care settings and increasingly in a telehealth group format. This trial aimed to determine the effect of a brief course of telehealth yoga on loneliness among rural older adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Association Between the Onset and Ending of Volunteering on Loneliness and Perceived Social Isolation Among Older Adults: Longitudinal Evidence From the German Ageing Survey.
Brain Behav
January 2025
Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, Hamburg, Germany.
Background: Existing literature explores the relationship between voluntary work, loneliness, and social isolation, but there is a lack of research on how the onset and cessation of voluntary work relate to loneliness and social isolation among older adults. Many in this population may discontinue volunteering due to various life circumstances, making it important to investigate the longitudinal significance of these transitions. This study aims to assess whether engaging in volunteer work during retirement age is associated with changes in loneliness and social isolation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychological Distress and Problems Among Young and Middle-Aged Cancer Patients Undergoing Treatment in China.
Psychooncology
January 2025
Department of Nursing, Shanghai Proton and Heavy Ion Center, Fudan University Cancer Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Objective: Influenced by their life stage and socio-cultural background, young and middle-aged cancer patients in China may experience unique psychological distress. Therefore, this study investigated the severity, problems, and associated factors of psychological distress among young and middle-aged cancer patients.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on young and middle-aged cancer patients aged 18-59 who were treated at a radiotherapy center from February 2022 to September 2023.
The relationship between frailty syndrome and quality of life in patients with hypertension: a multidimensional analysis.
BMC Geriatr
January 2025
Department of Emergency Medical Service, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, 51-618, Poland.
Background: Hypertension is a common condition among the elderly and is frequently accompanied by frailty syndrome (FS). The coexistence of hypertension and FS poses significant challenges in patient management and negatively impacts the quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to analyze the relationship between FS and QoL in elderly patients with suspected hypertension.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!