Loneliness increases risk of dementia, study finds

Older people who feel lonely have a higher risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry on the 10th of December. The research was conducted by a specialist at the VU University Medical Center in the Netherlands. He recalls, however, that living alone is not synonymous with loneliness. Two thousand elderly people with signs of dementia participated in the analysis. Almost half of them lived alone, 75% did not have social support and about 20% of them reported feeling lonely. The group was followed up for three years, during which 9% of the elderly living alone and 6% of those living with others developed dementia.

The problem also affected 5% of those who had social support and 11% of those who did not have this support. Another important finding was that more than 13% of the elderly who felt alone developed dementia compared to 6% who reported having more social relations.

From these results, the experts concluded that the participants who live alone or who were not married had a 70-80% greater risk of developing dementia than those who had other people in the household or were still married. Those who claimed to be lonely, in turn, were 2.5 times more likely to have the problem than others.

The study shows that living alone is not harmful, as long as the elderly have activities that fulfill their routine to avoid the feeling of loneliness. The results were similar for men and women. However, a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not been completed.

Health in Senior Citizens

Even after children leave home, you retire and numerous other changes slow down your routine, you can save a day the busy and productive day. Strength, rhythm and agility, balance and flexibility make dancing a great activity for those who need to move their bodies.

Frequent dances

In addition, dancing requires memory exercise and body awareness.

Learn to play music

It's never too late to learn to play an instrument. Studying music stimulates the brain, coordination and memory.

Travel the world

Traveling, learning new places and learning new cultures is also stimulating.

Make cultural tours

Theater, cinema, dance and show performances are great forms of entertainment. Invite friends or go it alone.

HEALTH

This is shown by a study of Kingston University in England . The researchers found that when bedded, the bed meets the ideal conditions for the proliferation of mites, creating a warm, humid and low-light environment. Research shows that, on average, there are 1.5 million of these organisms in the bed of each of us.

(Health)

Coffee can protect women against breast cancer

Coffee can protect women from an aggressive form of breast cancer, especially if they take five or more cups a day, according to research published in Breast Cancer Research . Women who drink heavily may have lesser chances of developing breast cancer with negative estrogen receptors that do not respond to certain drugs.

(Health)