Page 77 - Time Special Edition Alternative Medicine (January 2020)
P. 77
Loneliness
Can Hurt
Your Heart
Social isolation can
increase your risk
of dying early
By Jamie Ducharme
Research has shown, again and
again, that emotional and physical
health are inextricably linked. There
are significant health benefits
associated with love and friendship,
supportive marriages and feelings
of gratitude, for example.
And there are significant health
risks linked to the opposite. A 2018
study published in the journal Heart
looked at social isolation (being Being alone can affect your ability to recover from heart disease.
separated from other people) and
loneliness (being cut off from social
connection and being unhappy blamed on social causes. factors such as obesity, smoking,
about it). To do so, they surveyed almost low education and pre-existing
Researchers found that people 480,000 adults in the U.K. about chronic illness,” Hakulinen says.
who are socially isolated or lonely their social lives, loneliness, medical In the end, among people with
are more likely to have a heart attack histories and lifestyle habits. They pre-existing heart issues, only the
or stroke, compared with people with also measured health metrics link between social isolation and
strong personal networks. Social including height, weight, body mass mortality remained statistically
isolation, but not loneliness, also index and grip strength. Participants significant after adjusting for other
seems to increase the risk of death were then tracked for seven years. factors. Social isolation seemed
among people with a history of heart Isolation and loneliness seemed to bump a person’s risk of death
disease, the study says. The findings to significantly raise a person’s by 25% among those with a history
support several other studies that risk of cardiovascular problems, of heart attack, and by 32% for
have come to similar conclusions. compared with more-social folks. those with a history of stroke. This
“Having social support from Isolation was associated with a 43% suggests that while an empty social
significant others or from persons higher risk of first-time heart attack life may not cause heart problems, it
who are in a similar situation is and a 39% higher risk of first-time could seriously affect your ability to
good for your health, and socially stroke. Loneliness, meanwhile, was recover from them, Hakulinen says.
isolated or lonely individuals might associated with a 49% higher risk “In theory, it might be that
not have possibilities for this kind of first-time heart attack and a 36% individuals who are feeling lonely
of support,” says lead author higher risk of first-time stroke. have at least some social networks
Christian Hakulinen, a professor of After accounting for biological, that activate after they get sick, but
psychology and logopedics at the health and socioeconomic factors, persons who are socially isolated
University of Helsinki in Finland. however, the numbers looked quite don’t have these kinds of social
However, there was one surprise. different: isolation seemed to bump networks,” Hakulinen says, although
Suspecting that the effects of social the risk of heart attack and stroke he cautions that the study did not
isolation and loneliness might by only 7% and 6%, respectively, prove cause and effect.
be compounded by other traits while loneliness raised heart attack Still, the findings suggest that
common among antisocial folks, the and stroke risk by 6% and 4%. “This maintaining personal relationships
researchers set out to determine indicates that most of the excess is more than just fulfilling—it could
exactly how much risk could be risk was attributable to known risk be lifesaving.
