From Solomon, Steiner & Peck
With an estimated one in 10 older adults in the United States living with dementia, there is a growing focus on early detection and prevention. Dementia encompasses diseases that impair memory and cause cognitive decline. Common types of dementia include Alzheimer’s disease (the leading cause), Lewy Body dementia, and vascular dementia.
Most forms of dementia worsen over time, with a period of cognitive impairment preceding a formal diagnosis. When cognitive decline causes a loss of sense of self and limits one’s independence, dementia can significantly reduce quality of life.
Dementia is not a normal part of aging, despite what many people may assume. Reducing the risk of developing dementia and identifying risk early can prove essential for older adults. A growing body of research links dementia to loneliness, depression, insomnia, and even food insecurity. A new blood test may also be able to predict one’s risk of developing dementia.
Mental Health
Research published in the Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging found that people who have depression and loneliness have triple the risk of developing dementia. Depression is associated with dementia on its own, but it’s often accompanied by loneliness. While the research cannot point to a causal relationship, it does indicate a strong association between loneliness, depression, and dementia.
Those who have depression, live alone, or have other risk factors for loneliness should be evaluated for dementia.
Insomnia
Sleep is important for brain health. Insomnia can interfere with sleep, causing cognitive symptoms and worsening mood. Research shows that, like depression, insomnia is linked to dementia.
According to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s, one study found that older people with insomnia have a 40 percent higher risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Lack of sleep sped up brain aging by three to four years and was associated with poorer performances on cognitive assessments. Those carrying the APOE-E4 gene, which is a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, were particularly vulnerable when suffering from insomnia.
As with depression, people experiencing insomnia may benefit from dementia screening.
Food Insecurity
In addition to depression and insomnia, food insecurity has also been linked to dementia.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines households as food insecure if they are “uncertain of having or unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources for food.”
Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that low food security was associated with a higher dementia risk. The association was stronger for adults under 65. Stress, poor nutrition, and socioeconomic factors may explain why food insecurity is related to dementia.
Blood Test
If you or a loved one have one or more risk factors for dementia, consider speaking with your health care provider about next steps.
A new blood test may also be able to predict the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The Food and Drug Administration approved the test, which is called Lumipulse, in May 2025, making it the first FDA-approved blood test for Alzheimer’s, the Mayo Clinic reports.
The test uses a routine blood sample drawn at a doctor’s office or lab, making it much less invasive than preexisting tests. The sample is measured for proteins, including a specific form of a protein that can indicate amyloid plaques in the brain that characterize Alzheimer’s disease.
Assessed to be over 90 percent effective, doctors can use the test as part of a bigger diagnostic picture. Lumipulse is approved for adults 50 and older with cognitive symptoms.
