Researchers recently explored how loneliness affects memory in older adults.
They studied over 10,000 people aged 65 and above from 12 countries for six years. At the start, participants self-reported whether they felt highly lonely, somewhat lonely, or not lonely. Notably, none of them had memory problems at the beginning.
The study showed that people who felt very lonely had worse memory at the start compared to others. However, their memory did not decline faster over time than that of those who felt less lonely.
To test memory, participants were asked to listen to a list of 10 words and then recall as many as possible right away. Later, after five minutes, during which they were distracted, they were asked to remember the words again. Even though the lonelier group started with lower memory scores, their memory worsened at about the same rate as everyone else.
The researchers also noticed that people who felt very lonely were more likely to be older and in poorer health. They also had higher rates of depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
"The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time, was a surprising outcome," said lead author Dr Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria, from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario.
"It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline," he continued.
"The study underscores the importance of addressing loneliness as a significant factor in the context of cognitive performance in older adults."
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Business News
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.