Loneliness is one of the biggest health risks—it increases our chances of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, a new study has found.
It’s an overlooked cause of chronic illness, and social contact is as important as a healthy diet and exercise.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge looked at the impact of social isolation on around 42,000 people in the UK Biobank survey. They analysed blood samples from the participants who were aged between 40 and 69 years that they say can reveal levels of social activity, which they defined as the frequency of contact with others socially, how often they took part in social activities, and whether they lived alone. They also tried to calculate levels of loneliness, a subjective measure based on the extent that someone feels lonely.
The researchers isolated five proteins from the blood samples that are known to be caused by loneliness and social isolation. One of the proteins, ADM, is produced as a response to stress and regulates stress hormones and ‘social’ hormones such as oxytocin, the so-called love hormone.
The proteins have been linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and premature death. “They give us clues to the biology underpinning poor health among people who are socially isolated or lonely, highlighting why social relationships play such an important part in keeping us healthy,” said Jianfeng Feng, one of the researchers.
Stay Healthy,
Janice