A strong link between memory loss and social isolation in older adults indicates a need to create interventions to reduce isolation and to evaluate its effects on potential memory loss, according to a study published in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. David M. Mosen, PhD, MPH, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional, observational study of 46,240 Medicare recipients aged 65and older who completed a health questionnaire. The
study team assessed self-reported memory loss of those who reported feeling lonely or socially isolated and those who did not, adjusting for health conditions, healthcare services use, and demographics in the 12 months before the survey. Compared with those who rarely or never experienced social isolation, those who reported sometimes experiencing social isolation were more likely to report memory loss. Similarly, compared with those who rarely reported or never experienced social isolation, those who reported isolation often or always were more likely to report memory loss.
