Loneliness May Increase Dementia Risk, Heart Attacks and Stroke

A study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry has found that people who feel lonely are significantly more at risk for developing dementia. The study, headed by Tjalling Jan Holwerda of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, found that participants who reported feeling lonely, no matter how many friends and family surrounded them, were more likely to experience dementia than those who didn't feel lonely. The team focused on approximately 2,200 older adults living in Amsterdam, ages 65 to 86. None of the participants exhibited signs of dementia and none of them lived in facilities such as nursing homes. The researchers visited the elders two times over the course of three years. About half of them lived alone, with 20 percent reporting feelings of loneliness, even if they were married or lived with family. Continue reading on HealthCentral for more information about how loneliness (not necessarily being alone) can contribute to dementia and other diseases: Minding Our Elders: Caregivers Share Their Personal Stories. “I hold onto your book as a life preserver and am reading it slowly on purpose...I don't want it to end.” ...Craig William Dayton, Film Composer Discover the Difference. EGOSAN - the Top-Rated incontinence brand from Italy. Now Available on Amazon. ***Egosan is PEFC certified. This certification guarantees that their products are from sustainably managed forests and recycled controlled sources...
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs