Study Unveils Link Between Loneliness and Higher Risk of Heart Disease, Stroke
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New research found that interactions with friends and family may keep us healthy because they boost our immune system and reduce our risk of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Their findings are published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
A team led by scientists examined the ‘proteomes’ – the suite of proteins – in blood samples donated by over 42,000 adults aged 40-69 years who are taking part in the UK Biobank. This allowed them to see which proteins were present in higher levels among people who were socially isolated or lonely, and how these proteins were connected to poorer health.
The team calculated social isolation and loneliness scores for individuals.
When they analysed the proteomes and adjusted for factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomic background, the team found 175 proteins associated with social isolation and 26 proteins associated with loneliness (though there was substantial overlap, with approximately 85% of the proteins associated with loneliness being shared with social isolation). Many of these proteins are produced in response to inflammation, viral infection and as part of our immune responses, as well as having been linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and early death.
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