Whether you're visiting a friend or picking up the phone to call your family, social interactions have been found to play a role in dementia risk.
Certain risk factors such as age and genetics are non-negotiable when it comes to dementia. Others, however, such as your diet, are completely in your hands. Now researchers suggest that your social life may also play a role. Fortunately, “simple interventions” in this area can reduce your chances of developing a mind-blowing condition.
Once you retire and potentially start to lose friends, social life understandably becomes less vibrant.
“Socially isolated older people have a 27 percent higher risk of dementia. The good news is that in another study , which can be found in the same journal, says that the technology can be an effective intervention that can reduce this “significant” risk,” says neurologist Alexandra Alyokhina, especially for MedikForum.
Periodontitis contributes to the occurrence dementia
Taken together, studies have not established a direct causal relationship between dementia and social isolation, which has been defined as a lack of social contact and regular interaction with people.
“Social connections matter to our cognitive health and are potentially easy to change for older adults without the use of medication.”
Living alone is associated with an increased risk of dementia
Study participants were 65 years of age or older and were asked to complete an annual two-hour face-to-face interview to assess their cognitive function, health, and overall well-being. At the start of the study, 23 percent of the subjects were socially isolated and showed no signs of brain disease.
However, 21 percent of the total sample developed dementia by the end of the study, leading the researchers to conclude that the risk is higher in socially isolated people.
“One possible explanation is that fewer opportunities to connect with other people also reduces cognitive performance, which may contribute to an increased risk of dementia.
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