Alzheimer's disease: the number of friends and relatives affects the risk of dementia

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Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms eventually become severe enough to interfere with daily tasks and affect the life of the person and the people around them. Social isolation has been seen as an early sign of the disease and as a possible cause.

Rare symptoms that may be an early warning include:

• Impaired vision
• Social isolation
• Anxiety
• Impulsive behavior
• Paranoia

One study found a link between social isolation and a lesser-known symptom Alzheimer's disease.

“People with high levels of amyloid, people at high risk for Alzheimer's disease, are 7.5 times more likely to feel lonely than those who are not lonely,” said the study's lead researcher, Dr. Nancy Donovan, director of the Alzheimer's Research and Treatment Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Refusal from social activities can indicate early signs of the disease. Research has long shown that people who stay socially active are less likely to develop dementia, Donovan added.

According to the US National Institutes of Health, brain plaques made up of sticky amyloid proteins are a characteristic a feature of Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia. These plaques form in the spaces between nerve cells in the brain in patients with Alzheimer's disease, although their connection to the disease is not yet fully understood.

People who find themselves unexpectedly lonely due to the death of a spouse or partner, separation from friends or family, retirement, loss of mobility and lack of transport are at particular risk.