A study has suggested a link between loneliness, depressive symptoms and digestive diseases in older adults.
Life expectancy rates have increased around the world, and so the prevalence of aging-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, osteoporosis, cataracts, and Alzheimer’s disease. Getting older make you prone to developing digestive health disorders. Older people are also vulnerable to loneliness and depression.
A study recently published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology revealed that seniors who living with a digestive disease of some kind are more likely to experience loneliness and depression.
The connection between digestive diseases and mental health
The study by a team of gastroenterologists and hepatologists examined the rates of loneliness, depression and social isolation in older Americans with and without digestive diseases.
Overall, 60.4% of participants with a digestive disease reported loneliness, while 55.6% of respondents without a digestive disease reported loneliness.
Severe depression was reported in 12.7% of older adults with a digestive disease as compared to 7.5% in respondents without a digestive disease.
There was no significant difference in terms of the rate of social isolation in the two groups, with 8.9% and 8.7% reported respectively.
Higher number of individuals with a digestive disease self-reported ‘poor-or-fair’ health than those without one. Loneliness and moderate to severe depression were linked to greater odds of ‘poor-or-fair’ health, as per the study results.
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Importance of screening for depression and loneliness in older patients
Michigan Medicine gastroenterologist Shirley Ann Cohen-Mekelburg encourages gastroenterologists to screen patients with digestive diseases for depression and loneliness in addition to their physical symptoms.
Loneliness can also put older adults at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, even death.
Some tips to protect your digestive health as you age
Common digestive problems that may arise with age include constipation, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
- Use medications with care
- Stay active, get at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week
- Eat more foods high in fiber, such as fruits and vegetable, whole grains, and beans.
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get regular health screenings
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