Association of social isolation, loneliness and genetic risk with incidence of dementia: UK Biobank Cohort Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Social isolation and loneliness have been associated with increased risk of dementia, but it is not known whether this risk is modified or confounded by genetic risk of dementia.

Methods

We used the prospective UK Biobank study with 155 070 participants (mean age 64.1 years), including self-reported social isolation and loneliness. Genetic risk was indicated using the polygenic risk score for Alzheimer's disease and the incident dementia ascertained using electronic health records.

Results

Overall, 8.6% of participants reported that they were socially isolated and 5.5% were lonely. During a mean follow-up of 8.8 years (1.36 million person years), 1444 (0.9% of the total sample) were diagnosed with dementia. Social isolation, but not loneliness, was associat

SUBMITTER: Elovainio M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8867309 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature