Are YOU lonely? You may be at risk of dementia: People with high levels of brain-clogging chemical found to be 8 TIMES more likely to be isolated
- Cortical amyloids cause brain-clogging plaques in dementia sufferers
- Experts believe they trigger the death of brain cells and cause the disease
- People with high levels of the chemical were found to be more lonely
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Being lonely may trigger dementia, new research suggests.
People who had high levels of a protein in their brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease were nearly eight times more likely to feel isolated.
Cortical amyloids are known to cause brain-clogging plaques in dementia sufferers and are believed to trigger the onslaught of the disease.
High levels are known to cause inflammation and damage to the neurons leading to memory loss, confusion and dementia.
People who had high levels of a chemical in their brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease were nearly eight times more likely to be lonely
Researchers from Harvard University studied 79 adults to examine whether cortical amyloid levels in the brain were associated with loneliness.
Of the participants, more than a quarter were carried of a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s – apolipoprotein E ?4.
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While 32 per cent were found to have high levels of the chemical in their brain, according to imaging. The rest were found to have normal levels.
Participants reported an average loneliness score was 5.3 on a scale of 3 to 12, according to the research published in JAMA Psychiatry.
They found those with higher cortical amyloid levels were more likely to be lonely after taking into account multiple factors.
Higher cortical amyloid levels are known to form clumps of proteins which are found in the brains of dementia sufferers and are thought to trigger the death of brain cells
The association between high chemical levels and loneliness was also stronger in carriers of the genetic risk factor.
Lead researcher Dr Nancy Donovan said their findings will allow for new research to find a way to improve early detection for Alzheimer’s.
This comes after scientists found last month that they could stop the onslaught of dementia through gene therapy.
Inserting the gene prevented the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain which are thought to kill brain cells.
In a study on mice, they discovered the PGC-1-alpha gene helped to keep the brains of the animals healthy.
Dementia affects 47.5 million people across the world – of which Alzheimer’s is the most common form.
The Alzheimer’s Society estimate one in three people over 65 will develop dementia and numbers will grow as the population ages
There is no known cure, but current drugs can help to treat symptoms of the disease.
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