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Researchers Identify Surprising Early Risk Factor for Dementia, Emerging Decades Before Symptoms - Pulptastic

New research links childhood loneliness to faster cognitive decline and higher dementia risk in later life.
A large study followed 13,592 Chinese adults from 2011 to 2018 to assess cognitive health over seven years.
Participants who felt lonely in childhood showed diminished memory and faster cognitive decline in middle age.
The study involved adults from Australia, the United States, and China, highlighting a global consideration of early-life stress effects.
Childhood loneliness was defined as feelings of isolation and a lack of close friendships.
Researchers note that early-life social factors like loneliness may influence brain health long before symptoms appear.
The article cites lifetime dementia statistics in the United States, including high mortality associated with Alzheimer's.
The study supersedes Covid-era data by choosing a 2011–2018 window to minimize pandemic effects.
The findings were published in JAMA Network Open and involved international collaboration.
The research underscores addressing early-life stressors like loneliness and poverty to protect brain health.

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