Summary: Feeling lonely for extended periods of time was associated with faster memory decline in those over 65.
Source: University of Michigan
Prolonged loneliness in adults over age 65 may be a major risk factor for accelerated memory aging, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
“We found that feeling lonely for a longer period of time was associated with faster memory decline, suggesting that it’s never too late in life to work on reducing feelings of loneliness to support healthy aging,” said Lindsay Kobayashi, assistant professor of epidemiology. and lead author of the study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Kobayashi and colleagues analyzed interview data from more than 9,000 adults over age 50 from the US Health and Retirement Study from 1996 to 2016. They assessed participants’ cumulative duration of loneliness from 1996 in 2004 in relation to changes in memory function over the following 12 years. from 2004 to 2016.
Prolonged loneliness in adults over 65 may be a major risk factor for accelerated memory aging. The image is in the public domain
Xuexin Yu, PhD candidate in epidemiology and lead author of the study, said the association between loneliness and memory aging was strongest in people aged 65 and older, with women experiencing a decline of memory stronger and faster than men.
“Women tend to have larger social networks than men, which may make women less likely to feel lonely than men, but more vulnerable once they experience long-term loneliness,” Yu said. “Social stigma and reluctance to admit loneliness may also be a factor in this observed gender-specific association.”
Credit: University of Michigan
Loneliness and targeted social isolation are important factors in older people’s health, and researchers say reducing loneliness in mid- or late-life may help maintain memory function longer.
In addition to Yu and Kobayashi, Ashly Westrick, a postdoctoral fellow at UM’s Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, is a co-author of the study.
About this research news about aging and loneliness
Author: Press Office Source: University of Michigan Contact: Press Office – University of Michigan Image: Image is in the public domain
Original research: open access. “Cumulative Loneliness and Later Memory Function and Rate of Decline Among Adults ≥50 Years of Age in the United States, 1996 to 2016” by Xuexin Yu et al. Alzheimer’s and dementia
Summary
See also
Cumulative Loneliness and Later Memory Function and Rate of Decline Among Adults ≥50 Years of Age in the United States, 1996 to 2016
Introduction
The aim of the study was to investigate the association between the duration of loneliness and memory function over a 20-year period.
methods
Data were from 9,032 adults aged ≥ 50 years from the Health and Retirement Study. Loneliness status (yes versus no) was assessed every two years from 1996 to 2004 and its duration was classified as never, 1 time point, 2 time points, and ≥3 time points. Episodic memory was assessed from 2004 to 2016 as a combination of immediate and delayed recall trials combined with proxy-reported memory. Mixed effects linear regression models were fitted.
results
Longer duration of loneliness was associated with lower memory scores (P < 0.001) and faster rate of decline (P < 0.001). The association was stronger among adults ≥ 65 than among those <65 (three-way interaction P = 0.013) and was stronger among women than men (three-way interaction P = 0.002).
discussion
Accumulated loneliness may be a prominent risk factor for accelerated memory aging, especially among women aged ≥65 years.
highlight
- Longer duration of loneliness was associated with accelerated memory aging.
- The association was stronger among women than among men and among older than younger adults.
- Reducing loneliness in the middle or later years of life can help maintain memory function.