Health
Scientists reveal the one practice that could prevent dementia as you age
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A lack of socializing may be a major risk factor for neurological disorders in older adults.
New research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, has considered how “social frailty” can be a predictor of dementia.
The study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, looked at data from 851 people over the age of 70 in Sydney’s suburbs who did not have dementia at the time.
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The researchers evaluated social frailty using measures of social support, frequency of social interactions, sense of purpose, engagement in community or volunteer activities, and the individual’s perceived social roles and connectedness, according to a press release.
Based on this analysis, participants were classified as socially frail, pre-frail or non-frail.
Researchers considered levels of social connection among nearly 900 Australian seniors. (iStock)
The participants were followed for over 12 years, undergoing neuropsychological tests every two years to diagnose any new dementia cases. The researchers adjusted for other factors like physical frailty, psychological frailty and health history.
The study concluded that social frailty was associated with a higher risk of dementia, with socially frail individuals facing about a 47% increased risk compared to those in the non-frail group.
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In most socially frail people, the factors that were most strongly associated with this risk included low financial and family satisfaction, infrequent social contact and limited participation in social activity.
Study co-author and clinical psychologist Dr. Suraj Samtani, UNSW Sydney postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, emphasized the consequences of aging people lacking in social connections.
“Social isolation is the biggest risk factor for dementia” late in life, the lead researcher said. (iStock)
“In midlife, risk factors like hearing loss and metabolic syndromes like hypertension and diabetes are very important to prevent and manage,” he said in the press release. “But in late life, social isolation is the biggest risk factor for dementia.”
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, co-author and postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Annabel Matison noted that the study population was “generally healthy, well-educated and Caucasian.”
While the researchers would like to confirm these findings among a broader group, Matison commented that the strength of the association between socialization and cognitive decline is “noteworthy.”
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“We hope these findings raise awareness that poor social connections, resources and support are risk factors for dementia,” she said. “We encourage older adults to stay socially active with family, friends and neighbors, and to consider volunteering.”
Aging slowly and staying active
Another recent study by researchers at Cornell University found that social relationships can actually slow cellular aging.
Lead study author Anthony Ong, psychology professor and director of the Human Health Labs in the College of Human Ecology in New York, shared with Fox News Digital how the “depth and consistency” of social connection across a lifetime “matters profoundly.”
“Strong social ties appear to work in the background over many years, building a more resilient body by reducing the chronic, low-grade inflammation that is a key driver of accelerated aging,” he said.
Staying socially engaged and attached to loved ones is key to healthy aging, experts say. (iStock)
In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, longevity experts David Cravit and Larry Wolf, the Canada-based authors of “The SuperAging Workbook,” shared several aspects of “super-aging,” including attachments to others.
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“I’m lucky enough to have been married to the same wonderful lady for almost 60 years,” Wolf said. “Cultivating contact with people you love, with people you like, and expanding your social network, are all very critical.”
The experts noted that mental and physical exercise are also crucial for keeping the brain young and sharp.
The ‘loneliness epidemic’
Multiple studies have shown that loneliness can be hazardous to humans’ health. In fact, a previous Harvard study found that being lonely is as detrimental as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
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U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an updated notice on the loneliness epidemic in September, reporting a growing decrease in social connection, especially among young people.
Americans have fewer friends than ever before, especially among younger groups, the surgeon general warns. (iStock)
Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics in California, also commented on the grave impact that loneliness may have on human health.
“The number of friends people have has dropped 40% since 1990,” he said in a previous interview with Fox News Digital. “Why? We’re more connected online, but we’re more disconnected in person.”
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“Loneliness increases stress hormones, making you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, and it’s just bad for you,” he went on.
“When you’re face-to-face with actual people, your brain has to work so much harder, which ultimately is working out your brain.”
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Big moves are continuing in the weight loss landscape in the new year following breakthrough research of GLP-1 medications and other methods.
Weight-loss experts spoke with Fox News Digital about their predictions for the most major changes to come in 2026.
No. 1: Shift to whole-body treatment
Dr. Peter Balazs, a hormone and weight loss specialist in New York and New Jersey, shared that the most important shift is likely to label GLP-1 drugs as “multi-system metabolic modulators” rather than “simple weight loss drugs.”
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“The treatment goal is no longer just BMI reduction, but total cardiometabolic risk mitigation, with effects now documented across the liver, heart, kidneys and vasculature,” he said.
“We are seeing a significant reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events … and progression of renal disease,” he went on.
The focus of GLP-1 drugs will widen beyond weight loss and diabetes, according to experts’ predictions. (iStock)
Philip Rabito, M.D., a specialist in endocrinology, weight loss and wellness in New York City, also shared that “exciting” advancements lie ahead for weight-loss drugs, including GLP-1s and GIPs.
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“These next‑generation agents, along with novel combinations that include glucagon and amylin agonists, are demonstrating even more impressive weight‑loss outcomes than currently available therapies, with the potential for better tolerability and sustained results,” he told Fox News Digital.
“There is also tremendous optimism around new federal agreements with manufacturers that aim to make these medications more widely accessible and affordable for the broad population of patients who need them most.”
No. 2: More convenient dosing
The typical prescription for a GLP-1 medication is a weekly injection, but delivery and dosing may be changing to more convenient methods in 2026, according to Balazs.
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A daily 25 mg pill version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, a semaglutide designed to treat obesity, is now approved and available for chronic weight management, offering a non-injectable option for some patients.
A once-weekly oral GLP-1 is currently in phase 2 trials, as well as an implant that aims for three to six months of drug delivery, Balazs noted.
Incisionless weight-loss procedures will rise as a lower-risk option, according to experts. (iStock)
No. 3: Less invasive surgery
In addition to decreased risk during surgery for GLP-1 users, Balazs also predicted that metabolic surgery without incision will rise as a better option.
“Incisionless endoscopic procedures — like endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (non-surgical weight-loss procedure that makes the stomach smaller from the inside) and duodenal mucosal resurfacing (non-surgical procedure that resets part of the small intestine to help the body better handle blood sugar) — [may become] more durable and widely available,” he said.
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“These offer significant metabolic benefits with shorter recovery and lower risk than traditional surgery.”
Rabito agreed that “rapid progress” in minimally invasive weight‑loss procedures is “opening powerful new options for patients who are hesitant to pursue traditional bariatric surgery.”
Bariatric surgery remains the most effective weight loss method, one specialist says. (iStock)
This avenue offers “meaningful and durable weight reduction with less risk, shorter recovery times and no external incisions,” the expert added.
Dr. Muhammad Ghanem, bariatric surgeon at the Orlando Health Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery Institute, reiterated that surgery remains “the most successful modality for the treatment of obesity … with the highest weight loss and most durable outcomes as of yet.”
No. 4: Younger GLP-1 users
As Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy has been indicated for adolescents over 12 years old as an obesity treatment, Balazs commented that pediatric use of weight-loss drugs is “now a clinical reality.”
He predicted that other alternatives are likely to be approved in 2026 for younger users.
No. 5: High-tech, personalized access
Amid the growth of artificial intelligence, Balazs predicted an expansion in the clinical implementation of AI-driven weight-loss methods.
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This could include categorizing obesity into sub-types like “hungry brain,” “emotional hunger” and “slow burn” to personalize how therapy is prescribed while moving away from “trial and error,” he said.
Ghanem agreed that there will likely be a “big focus” on individualized testing for causes of obesity in 2026, as it’s a disease that can have “different causes in different people,” thus requiring different treatments.
AI and other digital opportunities will drive more access for weight-loss patients, experts say. (iStock)
The doctor anticipates that more patients will seek combinations of comprehensive treatments and programs.
“Patients are more aware that now we have a few weapons in our arsenal to combat obesity, and [they] are seeking a multidisciplinary and holistic approach,” Ghanem said.
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Treatment options will also turn digital with the rise of prescription digital therapeutics (PDTs) for weight loss, Balazs predicted.
“These are software applications delivering cognitive behavioral therapy, personalized nutrition and metabolic coaching through algorithms, often integrated with continuous glucose monitors, and reimbursed as medical treatments,” he said.
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Ghanem added that body composition analyzers, like DEXA scans, will likely be more widely used as awareness grows about the limitations of BMI and weight in assessing obesity.
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