Social Isolation Linked To Higher Dementia Risk & Lower Brain Volume Later In Life

Socially isolated people age 60 and older are 26% more likely to develop dementia later in life according to an analysis based on the United Kingdom’s Biobank data set, which includes data from approximately 460,000. After adjusting for other risk factors (including socio-economic factors, chronic illness, lifestyle, depression, and APOE genotype), the researchers concluded that social isolation was an independent risk factor for developing dementia, especially among people age 60 and older.

Loneliness was also associated with later development of dementia, however that association was not significant after adjusting for other risk facotrs, especially depression. The adjustment . . .