Loneliness and Dementia Risk in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Chek Carmen, Knauft Katherine, Stickel Ariana, Araujo-Menendez Carlos, Gonzalez Hector, Tarraf Wassim
Primary Institution: Wayne State University
Hypothesis
Different manifestations of loneliness are differentially associated with dementia outcomes.
Conclusion
Loneliness is not uniformly distributed in the population, and its subtypes confer differential risk for dementia outcomes.
Supporting Evidence
- Nearly one in four adults over age 65 are lonely.
- Loneliness has important health implications, including for cognitive aging.
- A four-class solution best fits the data regarding loneliness classifications.
- The LNSD and LSD groups were more likely to meet criteria for prevalent dementia at baseline.
- The LSD group was more likely to meet criteria for incident dementia at follow-ups.
Takeaway
Some older people feel lonely, and this can affect their brain health. Different types of loneliness can lead to different risks of getting dementia.
Methodology
Data from the Health and Retirement Study was used to estimate classifications of loneliness and test associations with dementia prevalence and incidence using generalized linear regression models.
Participant Demographics
Adults aged 65+, average age 74.7, 56.3% women.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95%CI = 1.22;2.32 for LNSD, 95%CI = 1.33;2.20 for LSD
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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