Feeling lonely increased risk for all-cause dementia by 31 percent and cognitive impairment by 15 percent. Loneliness is a common — some would even say, universal — human experience.

Loneliness has been increasingly linked to heart attacks, strokes and other poor health outcomes, and now a new study shows it also raises the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment.

Diet seems to be a crucial player. In the past, several systematic reviews have found healthy diets, like the Mediterranean diet, are linked to a reduced risk of dementia. Meanwhile, the Western diet, which is high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt, seems to be a risk factor for dementia.

Research shows frailty levels rise significantly before dementia, suggesting it could be a key marker for early identification and prevention of dementia risk.

Loneliness isn't just associated with a higher risk of death, but also a higher risk of dementia, new research suggests. A meta-analysis of 21 studies involving more than 600,000 people finds loneliness is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia from any cause.