Living Alone in Your 50s and 60s? Dementia Found to Be 30 Percent More Likely: Study

A study in Ageing Research Reviews found that people in their 50s and 60s living alone are 30 percent more likely to develop dementia, reports the Science Times . Researchers at University College London (UCL) analyzed data from 21,666 people older than 55, and learned that those living unaccompanied were more likely to get Alzheimer's or other types of dementia. They suggested that loneliness, stress, and lack of cognitive stimulation could all factor into growing cases of dementia. UCL's Roopal Desai added that cognitive stimulation is crucial in maintaining neural connections. The authors inferred that if social isolation was completely eliminated, the number of dementia cases would decline by 8.9 percent. The Alzheimer's Society's Fiona Carragher said such research is essential to further understanding how the community can lower the risk of developing dementia.