Connect with us

Health

‘Sleep disorder drove my son to suicide,’ New York mother says: ‘Broke my heart’

Published

on

‘Sleep disorder drove my son to suicide,’ New York mother says: ‘Broke my heart’

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Chronic lack of sleep can cause a long list of physical and mental issues — and for one young man, his mother believes it led to his death.

Derek McFadden was just 23 when he took his own life on Aug. 17, 2018, in Tucson, Arizona.

His mother, Robin McFadden, who lives in Tuxedo Park, New York, said she believes her son’s insomnia was the “only driver” of his suicide.

SLEEP DISORDERS AND SUICIDE: A MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT REVEALS THE CONCERNING LINK

Advertisement

Derek McFadden was an “extremely funny kid” who loved swimming, snow-skiing and cuddling, his mother said — but for most of his life, he struggled with debilitating insomnia.

At around 8 years old, he started taking small doses of sleeping medication, which helped for several years.

Derek McFadden, pictured at left with his mom Robin McFadden, was 23 when he took his own life on Aug, 17, 2018, in Tucson, Arizona. (Robin McFadden)

Around the time he turned 18, during his senior year of high school, the medication stopped working, McFadden said.

“He never got a good night’s sleep, but he soldiered through his school day and then would come home and lie down on his bed, exhausted, but couldn’t fall asleep,” she told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Advertisement

SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS ARE MISSED BY MOST AMERICANS, NEW SURVEY FINDS: IT’S ‘ALARMING’

McFadden took her son to multiple doctors and they tried different medications — none of which worked, she said. 

“Derek would just lie there at night, and he was so tired, but he couldn’t fall sleep,” she said.

Amid the sleep struggles, her son managed to graduate from high school — but things got even worse when he left for college at the University of Arizona.

Derek McFadden, left, is pictured with his older brother Jake McFadden. (Robin McFadden)

Advertisement

He’d chosen Arizona because he was an “avid outdoorsman” who loved fly-fishing, going off-roading in his Jeep and spending time with his dog, which he’d adopted for emotional support.

“Our hope was that with Derek being in Arizona, the sunshine during the day would stimulate his brain to wake up so he could go to sleep at night, but it just didn’t work,” McFadden said.

The doctor’s visits continued, but none of the experts could figure out what was causing the insomnia. 

“There was something wrong in his brain that was preventing him from sleeping.”

“Every doctor would assume it was sleep hygiene, and that he was doing something wrong,” McFadden said.

Advertisement

AMERICANS NEED MORE SLEEP, LESS STRESS, EXPERTS SAY, AS GALLUP POLL REVEALS TROUBLING FINDINGS

“They assumed that because he was 18, 19 or 20 years old that he was playing video games all night.”

She added, “But Derek knew sleep hygiene. He had done so much research on his own. There was something wrong in his brain that was preventing him from sleeping.” 

Derek McFadden, far left, is pictured with his brother, mother and father. (Robin McFadden)

The family looked into holistic approaches, including hypnosis, acupuncture and “brain training,” but “nothing seemed to work,” McFadden said.

Advertisement

Many nights, he would go the entire night without sleeping — sometimes up to three days in a row, she said.

“It was really, really bad,” McFadden said.

Physical and mental toll

As the months went by and sleep continued to elude her son, McFadden said it began to take a toll on his immune system.

After consecutive nights without sleeping, he developed bruises all around his eyes.

SUICIDE RATES REACH ALL-TIME HIGH IN US, PER CDC DATA

Advertisement

“Derek was constantly getting sick, and that made him feel like he was not a normal kid,” she said. “He just couldn’t fight anything off. He was always at Urgent Care.”

Her son developed severe acid reflux and stomach pain, to the point where it became difficult for him to eat.

“Sometimes his insomnia got so severe that he couldn’t keep any food or fluids down at all,” McFadden said. 

Multiple times, he ended up in the emergency room with dehydration and severe cramping, she said.

Derek was an “avid outdoorsman” who loved fly-fishing, going off-roading in his Jeep and spending time with his dog, which he’d adopted for emotional support, his mother said. (Robin McFadden)

Advertisement

The lack of sleep also changed her son’s demeanor and personality, McFadden said.

“Derek had tremendous mood swings — he became anxiety-ridden and depressed,” she recalled.

“He would have hallucinations, and was constantly losing things. He couldn’t think clearly.”

On the rare occasion that her son had a good night’s sleep, McFadden said, he was “a completely different person, as happy as could be.”

IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP BY OPTIMIZING 6 BIOMARKERS: ‘INTEGRAL TO HEALTH’

Advertisement

“It broke my heart, because he was such a happy, funny, huge-hearted person, and it was really sad to watch his decline.”

Unable to keep up with his studies, her son had to drop out of college.

“He couldn’t even hold a job because he couldn’t sleep at night,” McFadden said. 

“He saw there was no cure, no future, and he just didn’t see a point in going on.”

In July 2018, when her son came home from Tucson for the summer, McFadden knew something had shifted.

Advertisement

“We were sitting on the sofa and he said to me, ‘Mom, I’m gonna die young,’” she recalled. 

“And I said, ‘Derek, why do you say that?’ And he said, ‘Because my mind and body can’t take the sleep deprivation.’”

Derek McFadden, left, is pictured with his older brother. After the tragedy, his mother said she realized her son had likely been planning his suicide in recent weeks. (Robin McFadden)

Her son had also expressed that he didn’t want to have children because he didn’t want to pass on the disorder, McFadden said.

“He saw there was no cure, no future, and he just didn’t see a point in going on,” she said. “Physically, he was starting to fall apart, and mentally, his cognitive ability was going.”

Advertisement

“Physically, he was starting to fall apart.”

Four weeks later, McFadden got an early-morning call from the Tucson Police Department notifying her that her son had taken his life.

After the tragedy, McFadden realized that her son had likely been planning his suicide in recent weeks.

FOR QUALITY SLEEP, TIMING IS EVERYTHING, EXPERTS SAY: HERE’S THE SECRET OF SUCCESSFUL SLUMBER

“He had contacted some old friends, and in his text messages and phone calls, he sounded very serene, relieved and calm,” she recalled. “I truly believe Derek had made the decision. He just saw no future for himself.”

Advertisement

The sleep-suicide link

Studies have suggested a likely connection between sleep and suicide.

Research published in the journal Current Psychiatry Reports found that treating insomnia and nightmares, or addressing the source of those issues, could help prevent “the rising threat of suicide.”

“Sleep is crucial for emotional and psychological balance.”

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert with the firm Senolytix, said there is a “significant body of research” suggesting a link between sleep deprivation and an increased risk of suicide. 

“Sleep is crucial for emotional and psychological balance,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Advertisement

“Lack of sleep can lead to mood disturbances, irritability and decreased stress tolerance, all of which can worsen feelings of despair or depression — potentially leading to suicidal thoughts.”

On the rare occasion that her son had a good night’s sleep, McFadden said, he was “a completely different person, as happy as could be.” Derek McFadden is pictured here with his mother, Robin McFadden. (Robin McFadden)

Sleep deprivation can also affect cognitive functions, the doctor continued. 

“This impairment can make it harder for individuals to see alternative solutions to problems or seek help, potentially increasing the risk of suicidal behavior,” he said.

LACK OF SLEEP COULD BE A FACTOR IN A ‘SILENT EPIDEMIC,’ EXPERTS WARN

Advertisement

Sleep problems are also commonly associated with psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, which are themselves significant risk factors for suicide, according to Osborn.

“Sleep pathology is extremely complex and challenging, because sleep itself is poorly understood.”

“Insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns are particularly prevalent in these conditions,” he warned. “This can be a source of diagnostic confusion and resultant treatment errors.”

Sleep also affects various biological processes, Osborn noted — “including the regulation of neurotransmitters like serotonin (which is involved in mood regulation) and stress hormones like cortisol.”

Derek McFadden was an “extremely funny kid” who loved swimming, snow-skiing and cuddling, his mother said. (Robin McFadden)

Advertisement

“Chronic sleep deprivation may lead to dysregulation in these systems, which could contribute to depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.”

While the majority of insomnia patients respond to lifestyle changes and/or medications, Osborn noted, there is a subset of patients who are “more difficult to manage.”

“Often, there are underlying medical problems, like reflux, that fly under the radar and predispose the individual to insomnia,” he told Fox News Digital. 

Derek McFadden, center, in cap and gown, is pictured with his family at his high-school graduation.  (Robin McFadden)

“Another issue is the potentially reciprocal relationship between depression and anxiety,” Osborn said.

Advertisement

“Sleep pathology is extremely complex and challenging, because sleep itself is poorly understood,” he continued. “A multimodal, interdisciplinary approach — involving a psychiatrist and a sleep specialist — is always best.”

SURPRISING SLEEP TRENDS REVEALED IN NEW SURVEY, INCLUDING THE RISE OF ‘SCANDINAVIAN SLEEPING’

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, agreed that there is a proven link between insomnia, stress, anxiety and depression.

“Since suicide is a manifestation of severe depression, I think there is a link there, too, though insomnia wouldn’t be the entire cause,” he told Fox News Digital.

Fly-fishing was one of Derek McFadden’s favorite hobbies. (Robin McFadden)

Advertisement

Siegel refers to it as a “cycle of worry.”

“Anxiety interferes with sleep, which then makes you more anxious and more sleepless, especially if you add caffeine to combat the grogginess,” he said.

During sleep, the brain relaxes and “cleanses” itself, Siegel said.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“Waking up refreshed can improve mood, especially when accompanied by exercise,” he noted. 

Advertisement

For those with severe insomnia, Siegel recommends undergoing a full sleep study/evaluation — typically with an EEG or video monitoring — to help determine the causes.

“Severe, resistant cases require evaluations by sleep specialists, neurologists and psychiatrists,” he added.

Call for awareness

The most “disheartening” part of her son’s tragedy, according to McFadden, was a lack of support from the health community, in her view.

“Other than sleep apnea and bad sleep hygiene, the medical community does not seem to believe that severe insomnia really exists,” she told Fox News Digital. 

Advertisement

“And that just infuriates me.”

Today, McFadden’s goal is to raise awareness of chronic insomnia — “because there are so many people in this world who are suffering from this.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.

Health

Cancer tied to woman’s vaping habit since age 15 as she’s now given just months to live

Published

on

Cancer tied to woman’s vaping habit since age 15 as she’s now given just months to live

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A young woman who started vaping at the age of 15 has been given just 18 months to live — after being diagnosed with lung cancer in her early 20s. 

Kayley Boda, 22, of Manchester, in the United Kingdom, was engaging in heavy vaping on a regular basis when she started coughing up a brown substance with “grainy bits” in it in January 2025, news agency SWNS reported. 

The retail assistant said doctors turned her away eight times, telling her she had a chest infection — until she began coughing up blood.    

SMOKING AND VAPING MAY BE BANNED AT ONE STATE’S MOST POPULAR BEACHES AND PARKS: HERE’S WHY

Advertisement

After seven biopsies, Boda was diagnosed with lung cancer. She underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy — and in February 2026, got the all-clear, the same source reported.

Two months later, though, doctors said the cancer had come back in the pleural lining. Now she’s been given 18 months to live.

Kayley Boda, 22, is shown in the hospital. She started coughing up a brown substance with “grainy bits” in January 2025, she said. She had been vaping since the age of 15.  (SWNS)

The young woman has now issued a warning to others to be aware of the dangers of vaping.

Boda said she smoked a bit as a young teenager. She took up vaping after that. 

Advertisement

Then, “a few months after I switched from reusable vapes to disposable ones, I started coughing up brown, grainy mucus,” as SWNS reported.

TOURISTS MAY FACE STEEP FINES AND JAIL TIME FOR VAPES AT THIS VACATION HOT SPOT

“Doctors turned me away eight times with a chest infection. … Then I started coughing up blood, so they did an X-ray and found a shadow on my lung,” she added.

“They told me they were 99% sure, [since I was] so young, that it wasn’t cancer, so not to worry about it. When I got the results back, and they told me it was lung cancer, it felt so surreal.”

Boda said she was “very naive” before her diagnosis and thought that “something like this would never happen to me.”

Advertisement

She said that she had surgery to remove half of her right lung.

“After the surgery, I started chemo and I had a terrible reaction to it. I couldn’t lift my head up. I was throwing up blood. I was urinating blood. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep.”

VACATION HOT SPOT CRACKS DOWN ON VAPING WITH JAIL THREATS AND HEFTY FINES

She said that when she got the “all clear [in Feb. 2026], it felt amazing, but just two months later I was told the cancer had come back, and I have 18 months to live.”

She added, “I’m 22. This isn’t meant to happen to somebody my age.”

Advertisement

“Stay off the vapes because they will catch up with you.”  

She blames her cancer on vaping, she said.  

“My symptoms started a few months after I started disposable vapes, and there’s no lung cancer in my family,” she said. “I haven’t vaped for three months, I’ve made my partner stop, I’ve made my mom stop, I’m urging all my friends to stop. Stay off the vapes,” she continued, “because they will catch up with you.”  

When doctors did an X-ray, they found a shadow on Boda’s right lung. She was later diagnosed with lung cancer and has undergone surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy. (SWNS)

She said she’d been using reusable vapes since the age of 15 and began using disposable vapes a few months before her cancer symptoms started.

Advertisement

DISPOSABLE VAPES MORE TOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC THAN CIGARETTES, STUDY SHOWS

In November 2024, when she developed a rash all over her body, doctors said it could have been due to shingles, chicken pox or scabies, she told SWNS.    

‘Nothing worked’

“I got treated for all three, and nothing worked,” Boda said. “It got to the point where I was cutting myself from scratching so hard.” 

A few months after that, she began coughing up a dark brown mucus, with “grainy bits, the consistency of sugar, in it,” she said. When the coughing continued, she visited the doctor’s office, but was told it could be scarring from pneumonia or a chest infection, she also said.    

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Advertisement

It wasn’t until March 2025 that she began coughing up bright red blood. At that point, doctors gave her a chest X-ray and told her they’d found a shadow on her lower right lung.    

Over the next four months, she had seven biopsies as doctors took samples from the “shadow.” In August, when she went to get the results, she was told she had stage one lung cancer.

Boda is shown in the hospital. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and had surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, as well as chemotherapy. (SWNS)

In September 2025, she had surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung, and the surrounding lymph nodes. During the surgery, doctors upstaged her cancer from stage one to stage three after finding cancer in six surrounding lymph nodes, she said.  

Following the surgery, Boda was unable to breathe properly and had to learn to walk all over again.  

Advertisement

“The oncologist said this is so rare.”

After finishing chemotherapy in February 2026, Kayley was given the all clear, leaving her feeling elated. 

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

However, just a month after that, she began experiencing extreme chest pains and was told by doctors she had a pleural effusion — a build-up of fluid in the lungs. She had the fluid removed, but when doctors tested it, they discovered her cancer had returned to the pleural lining of her lungs, giving her 18 months to live.  

“The oncologist said this is so rare, and usually something they see in patients that are 80 years old,” she said, as SWNS reported.  

Advertisement

Increasingly, vacation hot spots are enforcing strict bans on the use of e-cigarettes in public venues.  (iStock)

Boda claimed that doctors were unable to pin her cancer to a specific cause — but told her that smoking and vaping definitely didn’t help.

Since her diagnosis, she has stopped and is urging others to stop, too.    

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

She’s hoping to raise the thousands of dollars needed for treatment to try to prolong her life, she said.  

Advertisement

Last year, Fox News Digital reported on the case of a Pennsylvania woman, 26, who said she vaped for just one year before her lungs collapsed. She was 22 when she took up the habit, she said in an interview. 

“Everybody warned me about it, but I didn’t listen — I wish that I did,” she said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH ARTICLES

Dr. David Campbell, clinical director and program director at Recover Together Bend in Oregon, told Fox News Digital at that time that signs of collapsed lungs include sharp chest or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.

Lung issues are just one of the many health issues linked to vaping, he warned. The habit can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as exposure to harmful heavy metals.

Advertisement

Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

Continue Reading

Health

Experts reveal why ‘nonnamaxxing’ trend may improve mental, physical health

Published

on

Experts reveal why ‘nonnamaxxing’ trend may improve mental, physical health

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.

A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.

The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.

MARTHA STEWART SHARES 7 TIPS FOR AGING WELL: ‘LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, BE GOOD’

Advertisement

“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.

Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)

Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.

“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.

LONELINESS MAY BE SILENTLY ERODING YOUR MEMORY, NEW RESEARCH REVEALS

Advertisement

Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.

Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.

One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)

There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Advertisement

“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.

The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.

Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)

Advertisement

The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Health

Loneliness may be silently eroding your memory, new research reveals

Published

on

Loneliness may be silently eroding your memory, new research reveals

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.

Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.

Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.

GRANDPARENTS WHO BABYSIT THEIR GRANDCHILDREN STAY MENTALLY SHARPER, NEW STUDY REVEALS

Advertisement

“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.

Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)

“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.

The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.

EXPERTS REVEAL HIDDEN LINK BETWEEN POOR SLEEP AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RISK

Advertisement

The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.

Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)

Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.

About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.

DEMENTIA RISK SIGNALS COULD LIE IN SIMPLE BLOOD PRESSURE READINGS, SAY RESEARCHERS

Advertisement

Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.

The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.

Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.

Advertisement

“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.

By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)

He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Advertisement

“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.

Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.

“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)

Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”

Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.

Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)

She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Advertisement

“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”

The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.

Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending