Loneliness drives cognitive impairment, can lead to shorter life

 

Older people who struggle with loneliness — rather than strictly being alone — may experience a faster mental and physical decline.

The study, led by the University of California, Davis, used advanced statistical modeling to chart loneliness and social isolation as older adults move through stages of cognitive impairment and mortality. The results suggest that loneliness plays a much stronger role in cognitive impairment and shorter life spans than social isolation on its own.

“Loneliness is a perception,” said Tomiko Yoneda, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Davis and the study’s lead author. “You could be surrounded by a crowd of people and still feel lonely, whereas isolation is just being alone. Some people might be not lonely at all and be completely content in their solitude.”

The study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology on June 15. 

Modeling people’s lifetimes

The team’s statistical models tested the impacts of loneliness and social isolation, both together and separately, on transitions between various states of cognitive impairment to the end of people’s lives. 

“This approach is crucial,” said Yoneda, “because cognitive impairment increases mortality risk, and both risks increase with age.”

Yoneda led the team of 24 researchers who analyzed data from 175,000 participants over the age of 50. Participants reported how frequently they felt lonely as well as how often they had contact with others. 

The analysis found that loneliness was consistently associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment and a shorter life, even after taking social isolation into account. Social isolation on its own was not consistently associated with cognitive decline and had only a weak association with a shorter life. 

A 10% increase in reports of feeling lonely was associated with an 8%-9% increased risk of severely impaired cognitive function and of transitioning from no impairment to mildly impaired cognitive function. 

Reporting loneliness more frequently was also associated with a 3% lower likelihood of returning from mild cognitive impairment to no impairment. This suggest, researchers said, that alleviating loneliness may be important for recovery. Higher loneliness was the most consistent risk earlier in life even before measurable cognitive decline appeared, researchers said.

“Loneliness may be most prominent in early stages of cognitive impairment, but is also a risk factor after impairment develops,” said the study’s supervising author Eileen K. Graham, an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University. “Lonelier individuals may be more likely to progress to more severe stages and less likely to recover.”

Reducing loneliness

The researchers said that finding ways to reduce loneliness, which would blunt its effects on cognitive impairment, could reduce the costs associated with care for individuals with dementia and other cognitive ailments.  

They also said that individuals worried about cognitive decline can make efforts to strengthen their social connections with the people around them. For instance, hospitals and care organizations can incorporate screening tools that identify loneliness. Communities could create opportunities for older adults to engage with others and build a sense of belonging.

Additional co-authors include Emorie Beck, assistant professor of psychology at UC Davis; as well as researchers representing the University of Southern California, Auburn University, UC Riverside, University College London, Western Virginia University, University of Limerick, Rush University Medical Center, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and Cornell University. 

Mounting evidence linking alcohol to pancreatic cancer

A new paper led by researchers at University of Victoria’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) contributes to mounting evidence that alcohol use can cause pancreatic cancer.

“Right now, the World Health Organization lists seven types of cancer, including mouth, breast and colon cancer, as being linked to alcohol consumption,” says Tim Naimi, CISUR’s director and an author of the study. “There has been a growing body of evidence pointing to alcohol consumption as a cause of pancreatic cancer, and this analysis is a significant contribution to that evidence.”

Pancreatic cancer is a particularly deadly form of the disease, with only about 12 percent of Canadians surviving five years after diagnosis.

The paper, published in the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, is a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing cohort studies, which follow groups of people over time. The research team analyzed the literature to find evidence of the link between pancreatic cancer and alcohol intake in these types of studies.

A particular focus was on studies that avoided “former drinker” bias, where people who had quit drinking alcohol were counted as abstainers, as opposed to only counting people who never or rarely drank alcohol as abstainers.

“Often people who identify as abstainers in these cohort studies used to be heavy drinkers who quit due to health reasons, meaning they may still be feeling long-term effects of alcohol use, including cancer cases,” explains Jinhui Zhao, CISUR scientist and the paper’s lead author. “There has been a push in recent years to take this bias into account to truly measure alcohol’s health impacts.”

Once the authors controlled for former drinker bias, as well as other potentially confounding factors including age, smoking, and socioeconomic status, they found a dose-response relationship between pancreatic cancer and drinking. Drinking more than 24 grams of alcohol per day (a little under two standard Canadian drinks) was associated with a 10-30 percent increase in risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

“After rigorously analyzing the existing evidence, we strongly believe it’s time to add pancreatic cancer to the list of alcohol-related cancers,” says Naimi.

Read the paper Alcohol consumption and the risk of pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. 

Can’t stick to a diet? Try intermittent fasting for weight loss

Yo-yo dieters who struggle to lose weight and keep it off may achieve better results by following an intermittent fasting diet, rather than traditional calorie counting.

An Adelaide University study focusing on the psychological aspects of both intermittent fasting and calorie restriction, compared the effects both diets had on eating behaviours, mood, sleep and quality of life.

Although both diets led to similar amounts of weight loss, those on the fasting diet didn’t feel as though they needed to make major changes to their eating behaviours – such as monitoring overeating or counting calories - in order to lose weight.

This contrasts with the calorie restriction diet, where participants reported consciously having to think about restricting their food intake and avoiding overeating. That improved control accounted for 15% of their weight loss.

“While many diets can result in weight loss, they may be difficult to stick to and this makes keeping that weight off long-term more challenging,” said Professor Leonie Heilbronn from Adelaide University’s School of Medicine and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

“The results of our study indicate intermittent fasting could offer an alternative pathway for people who find conventional dieting challenging.”

More than 200 people with obesity were involved in the 18-month trial, which saw participants split into three diet groups – intermittent fasting, continuous calorie restricted and standard care

The intermittent fasting group was required to consume 30% of their energy needs between 8am and 12pm on three non-consecutive days each week, followed by a 20-hour fast. On non-fasting days, they were able to eat their regular diet.

Those on calorie restricted diets were limited to eating 70% of their usual diet, while the remaining participants followed standard diets but were given healthy eating guidelines.

Participants on both calorie restricted and intermittent fasting diets lost around seven kilograms in six months, compared to just two kilograms lost by those on the standard diet. They also reported improved levels of depression and wellbeing – even on fasting days.

The findings, which have been published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, suggest calorie restriction and intermittent fasting diets may drive weight loss through different psychological and behavioural pathways.

“Psychological and behavioural effects have a major influence on people’s abilities to adhere to diets. Intermittent fasting may help people achieve weight loss through ways that are less dependent on consciously restricting intake,” said Professor Heilbronn.

While intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular, relatively little is known about its long-term psychological and behavioural effects compared with standard dieting approaches.

“Future trials should be designed to identify individuals who struggle to improve eating behaviours, as they may do better with intermittent fasting diets, enabling more personalised weight management,” said Professor Heilbronn.

---

Journal

Clinical Nutrition

DOI

10.1016/j.clnu.2026.106686  

“Sitting paradox”: moderate sitting may benefit highly active adults

 

PURE-China study suggests that both too little and too much sitting may be linked to higher cardiovascular and mortality risks

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Journal of Sport and Health Science

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Researchers reveal that both too little and too much sitting may be linked to higher cardiovascular and mortality risks.

view more 

Credit: Dr. Scott A. Lear from Simon Fraser University, Canada and Prof. Wei Li from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College/National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, China Image Source Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254626000219?via%3Dihub

Public health guidelines commonly encourage adults to reduce prolonged sitting and increase physical activity to prevent cardiovascular disease and premature death. Previous large cohort studies have generally reported that longer sedentary time is associated with higher risks of heart disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality. However, global patterns of sitting and activity vary substantially across populations, and the health effects of reducing sitting may not be identical in all settings.

In China and many low- and middle-income countries, adults often have lower levels of sitting time and higher levels of occupational, household, or transportation-related physical activity than populations in many high-income countries. Data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study have shown that more than half of adults in China and several African countries sit for less than 4 hours per day. Whether further reducing sitting is always beneficial in such low-sedentary populations has remained uncertain.

A new study based on the PURE-China cohort provides a more nuanced picture. Researchers examined the associations of sitting time, physical activity, and sleep with major cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality among 41,733 Chinese adults. Participants were recruited between 2005 and 2009 from 12 provinces across eastern, central, and western China and were followed for a median of 11.9 years. The average age of participants was 50.6 years. Sitting time, physical activity, and sleep duration were assessed using standardized questionnaires. The study was made available online on April 14, 2026, and was published in Volume 15 of the Journal of Sport and Health Science in 2026.

The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events. The study also examined major cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality separately. Using Cox frailty models, restricted cubic splines, and isotemporal substitution analyses, the researchers evaluated both dose-response associations and the estimated health effects of reallocating 30 minutes per day between sitting, physical activity, and sleep.

The study found a J-shaped association between daily sitting time and the composite outcome. The lowest risk occurred at approximately 4 hours of sitting per day. Both very low sitting time, defined as less than 2 hours per day, and high sitting time, especially 6 hours per day or more, were associated with higher risks of adverse health outcomes.

Time-reallocation analyses further showed that the health effects of replacing one behavior with another depended on baseline sitting time. Among adults sitting 4 hours per day or more, replacing 30 minutes of sitting with physical activity was associated with a 3–4% lower risk of the composite outcome and a 6–7% lower risk of all-cause mortality. These findings are consistent with current recommendations to reduce excessive sitting and increase physical activity.

However, among adults sitting less than 4 hours per day, who may already have high levels of daily physical activity, the findings were different. Replacing 30 minutes of physical activity or sleep with sitting was associated with a 4–6% lower risk of the composite outcome and a 4–10% lower risk of all-cause mortality. These results suggest that in highly active or low-sedentary individuals, modest sitting time may not be harmful and may even be associated with lower risk.

The researchers describe this pattern as a potential “sitting paradox.” Similar to the previously discussed “physical activity paradox,” this finding suggests that the health meaning of sitting may depend on the broader behavioral context. In people with high physical activity levels, especially those engaged in physically demanding work or daily tasks, a moderate amount of sitting may provide recovery time, reduce musculoskeletal strain, or reflect a more balanced daily activity pattern.

“The results highlight the bidirectional effects of reallocating time between sitting, physical activity, and sleep,” says Professor Wei Li, the study’s lead author. “While excessive sitting remains harmful, our findings suggest that the relationship between sitting and health is context-dependent. In highly active individuals, a moderate amount of sitting may not be detrimental and could even be beneficial.”

The authors emphasize that the study does not support prolonged sitting. Instead, it suggests that public health recommendations should consider baseline activity levels, occupational context, and overall 24-hour behavior patterns. Rather than applying a single message of “sit less and move more” to all populations, future guidelines may need to account for population-specific and individual-specific behavioral patterns.

These findings provide new evidence for optimizing daily time allocation among Chinese adults and highlight the importance of considering sitting, physical activity, and sleep as interconnected components of a 24-hour day.

 

Reference
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2026.101140

Variety, intensity of exercise lower odds of depressive symptoms

Engaging in a variety of physical activities — especially those of higher intensity — may be linked to lower odds of experiencing depressive symptoms, according to new research published June 15, 2026, in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

The study, conducted by a team at the Kenneth H. Cooper Institute at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), analyzed data from more than 38,000 adult participants in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study to better understand how different characteristics of physical activity relate to depressive symptoms measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), a widely used screening tool.

“We’ve known for a long time that physical activity as a whole is connected to better mental health,” Andjelka Pavlovic, Ph.D., lead author with the Research Division at the Cooper Institute and research assistant professor in the TTUHSC Julia Jones Matthews School of Population and Public Health, said. “But what we wanted to figure out was which parts of physical activity have the greatest impact on depressive symptoms.”

The research team examined several aspects of physical activity — volume, duration, average intensity, diversity and each participant’s predominant activity type — to see how each factor related to depressive symptoms.

“When we modeled these characteristics individually, all of them were significantly related to a lower risk of depressive symptoms,” Pavlovic said. “But when we put them all into one model simultaneously, we found that average intensity and diversity of activity were the most significant predictors.”

To measure diversity, the researchers used Shannon’s Diversity Index, traditionally used in ecology to assess species diversity. “This has not previously been used in public health and exercise science studies,” Pavlovic explained. “We wanted to look at not just the number of activities people report, but how evenly they distribute their time among them.”

The findings also revealed some sex-based differences. Pavlovic noted that very vigorous activity was more strongly associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms among women. In contrast, aerobic or mixed endurance activities showed stronger associations with lower reported depressive symptoms among men.

The sample included 12,568 women and 26,378 men with an average age of 49 who completed a detailed physical activity survey and the CES-D during preventive health care examinations at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas between 2000 and 2024. The participants were predominantly white, college-educated and generally healthy.

While the study examined depressive symptoms, not clinically diagnosed depression or causation, Pavlovic said the results open the door for further research. “Future studies should further explore average intensity and diversity of activity in relation to clinical diagnosis of depression, as well as other mental health conditions such as anxiety and suicidal ideation,” she said.

Pavlovic added that the research results underscore the link between physical and mental health. “I do think they’re closely intertwined, and this study helps drive that point further,” she said.

FDA Broadens Access to Over-the-Counter Naloxone Nasal Spray for Opioid Overdose

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved another over-the-counter (OTC) intranasal naloxone product, Rextovy, a 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose. Consumers may directly purchase this product without a prescription in places such as pharmacies, convenience stores, and online. This action aligns with President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, a federal effort to address the U.S.’ addiction and substance use disorder crisis and coordinate the government's approach to prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery.  

“Reducing opioid overdose deaths is a top priority for FDA,” said Mike Davis M.D., Ph.D., Acting Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “Today’s approval of an additional over-the-counter naloxone nasal spray helps broaden access and offers an additional option for consumers. Empowering people without medical training to take immediate action with these products has been proven to save lives.”  

Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose and is the standard treatment for opioid overdose. Rextovy is an additional life-saving medication approved by the FDA to reverse an opioid overdose to be sold directly to consumers and contains the same active ingredient as other naloxone nasal sprays. The availability of multiple approved formulations expands access and market availability, encourages competition that may reduce cost, and offers alternative sourcing options.

The number of overdose deaths has dramatically decreased since the first FDA approval of an OTC naloxone nasal spray in 2023, but drug overdose persists as a major public health issue in the U.S., primarily driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl. In the 12-month period ending in August 2023, 111,451 overdose deaths were reported; in the 12-month period ending in December 2025, 68,632 overdose deaths were reported.¹

“Immediate access to naloxone nasal sprays is essential when a person is experiencing an overdose, and FDA remains committed to ensuring nonprescription options are widely available,” said Karen Murry, M.D., Director of the Office of Nonprescription Drug Products in CDER. “We are proud of the dedicated work our review divisions put into making this approval possible, and we encourage any manufacturer seeking to market a nonprescription naloxone product to contact the agency to initiate a conversation.”

When using Rextovy, some people may experience symptoms when they regain consciousness following overdose reversal, such as shaking, sweating, nausea, or feeling angry. The product is safe to use even when it is uncertain whether opioids are present in the person’s system. The product’s packaging includes pictorial directions with five clear steps, including calling 911 after giving the first dose.

The FDA granted the nonprescription approval to Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

¹ Products - Vital Statistics Rapid Release - Provisional Drug Overdose Data

Home blood pressure tests could prevent heart attack and stroke

 

Allowing patients to measure and record their blood pressure at home has been linked to a drop in the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, a major study shows.  

Patients who were able to self-monitor their blood pressure, with the data shared directly with doctors, had a significantly lower risk of hospitalisation and death than those who received standard care. 

Use of the so-called digital telemonitoring system – which also sends reminders when it is time to take a reading – could help to improve the health of patients, save lives and ease pressure on the NHS, experts say. 

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a major global health problem, leading to an estimated 7.5 million deaths each year. Lifestyle changes and medicines designed to lower blood pressure can help to manage the condition. Hypertension rarely causes symptoms, so patients require long-term monitoring. 

Previous studies have found that telemonitoring leads to improved blood pressure control, but there has been limited evidence of the long-term impact, including on serious outcomes such as stroke and heart failure. 

Scientists from Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Edinburgh studied almost 450,000 patients across Scotland with hypertension between 2019 and 2022. 9,500 patients used a telemonitoring service, Connect Me BP, while the remaining patients received standard care and were monitored by their local GP. 

Those who took part in the telemonitoring service saw a reduction in their blood pressure within the first three months, which was maintained over a year. They also experienced a significant reduction in cardiovascular outcomes, hospitalisations and deaths, compared with patients receiving standard care.  

The research team caution that although their analysis took account of differences between telemonitoring users and the wider group that might put them at lower risk of a cardiovascular event – such as younger age, requiring fewer medications for their blood pressure, and being less socio-economically deprived – there may have been unaccounted for differences which influenced the findings. 

Further research is needed to investigate the impact of additional risk factors and to explore whether it would be beneficial to extend telemonitoring to a wider demographic and higher-risk group of people with hypertension, they suggest. 

Scotland is now leading the world in deployment of the technology, with 130,000 people having used the Connect Me BP service for both diagnosis and control of blood pressure, experts say. 

The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, is published in the journal European Heart Journal – Digital Health: https://academic.oup.com/ehjdh/article/7/5/ztag069/8694666#563981228  

Janet Hanley, lead author and Associate Professor in the Cardiovascular Health Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Stroke, heart attack and heart failure are major causes of death and disability and anything which reduces the risk is worthwhile. Blood pressure telemonitoring does this by helping people improve their blood pressure control and is easy and convenient to use.” 

Professor Brian McKinstry, from the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, said: “This study provides the strongest evidence to date that telemonitoring not only reduces blood pressure but strokes and heart attacks too. It is important that we enable people from the most socio-economically deprived parts of the country who are most at risk of these conditions to benefit from it.” 

Professor James Leiper, Director of Research at the British Heart Foundation, said: “High blood pressure raises your risk of having a heart attack and stroke, and once people are diagnosed, they must be monitored closely to ensure it is being effectively treated. 

“This study is further evidence that empowering people to check their blood pressure regularly at home, and send their results to a doctor, with regular reminders to do so, is an efficient approach that could help improve people’s blood pressure control. 

“The reduction in the risk of hospitalisations and deaths from serious cardiovascular events seen in this study is encouraging. Innovative approaches like these could help people to live well for longer.”