It has long been known that lonely people suffer more often from health problems, but the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have forced scientists and sociologists to pay close attention to social isolation and related problems. Thus, the results of a new study have shown that loneliness can increase the risk of stroke by as much as 56%, which, according to experts, explains why this problem poses a serious threat to health worldwide. Earlier, representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that loneliness is one of the most serious global health problems affecting all aspects of human health, well-being and development, and cardiac surgeon Vivek Murthy from the United States warned that the effects of loneliness on mortality are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. We tell you why there is an epidemic of loneliness in the world and how to deal with it.
Loneliness is a source of serious health problems. Image: images.everydayhealth.com
Loneliness is like hunger or thirst. It is a feeling we experience when something is missing in our lives that we need to survive.
Contents
- 1 The Problem of Loneliness
- 1.1 Dementia and Social Isolation
- 1.2 How Does Loneliness Affect the Heart and Brain?
- 1.3 Life Expectancy
- 2 How to Fight the Loneliness Epidemic?
The Problem of Loneliness
Feeling isolated, deprived, without a sense of belonging or connection to anyone around us – in other words, loneliness – is an unpleasant experience, to say the least. Scientists have also long known that loneliness has a negative impact on every aspect of physical and mental health, as it represents emotional and cognitive discomfort or awkwardness from being or perceiving ourselves as lonely.
Loneliness is the suffering we experience when our innate needs for closeness and connection are not met, says Angelina Sutin, a professor of psychology at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
The issue of loneliness has been on full display during the coronavirus pandemic. A 2021 study by Harvard University researchers found that 36% of Americans felt extremely lonely. Another larger study, covering 101 countries, found that about 21% of people felt very lonely in 2020. Since then, the number of people reporting a lack of social interaction has increased significantly.
Lonelier people lead less healthy lives. Image: images.everydayhealth.com
And while almost everyone experiences loneliness at some point in their lives, it is chronic loneliness that is detrimental to health and can lead to addictions, sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and premature death.
More on the topic: Why do young people and adults experience loneliness differently?
Previous studies have shown that lonely or widowed older adults eat fewer fruits and vegetables than their married or cohabiting peers. Moreover, people who feel lonely are less likely to exercise, overeat, smoke, abuse drugs or alcohol. Lonely people have also been found to suffer from a variety of sleep disorders, including nightmares, and have an increased risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders.
Dementia and Social Isolation
Unfortunately, the problems caused by loneliness do not end there. For example, a study published in The Journal of Gerontology in 2018 found that adults who report greater feelings of loneliness are at 40% greater risk of developing dementia and other cognitive disorders.
The study analyzed data from a longitudinal study in the United States that involved more than 12,000 people, making it the largest sample to date for studying loneliness and dementia. It should be noted that all study participants were over 50 years old and took surveys to measure loneliness and cognitive tests every two years for ten years.
Feeling lonely increases the risk of developing dementia and other cognitive disorders. Image: images.everydayhealth.com
Socializing and maintaining relationships with colleagues, friends, neighbors, and other people has a beneficial effect on the brain. It's all about keeping the brain active and in good shape, the authors of the scientific paper write.
The results showed that lonelier people had a much higher risk of developing dementia, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases than their non-lonely peers. These findings are supported by other studies, emphasizing that it is the feeling of loneliness that increases the risk of developing dementia.
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How does loneliness affect the heart and brain?
Another large study published in JAMA found that loneliness was associated with a 29% higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. What’s more, lonely people aged 45 and older had a 27% higher risk of dying prematurely from heart disease. However, while previous studies have linked loneliness to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, few have specifically looked at the impact on stroke risk, a sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain that leads to serious neurological damage and death.
The study, led by Harvard University researchers, is the first of its kind to examine the link between loneliness and stroke risk over time. The findings showed that adults aged 50 and older who experienced chronic loneliness had a 56% higher risk of stroke than those who did not feel lonely.
People who feel lonely for years are more likely to have strokes. Image: images.everydayhealth.com
A study recently published in the journal EClinicalMedicine suggests that people who feel lonely occasionally are less likely to have a stroke. The findings suggest that the impact of loneliness on stroke risk extends over many years.
Our study shows that loneliness, especially when chronic, may play an important role in the incidence of stroke, which is already a leading cause of long-term disability and death worldwide, said lead author Dr. Yeni So, a research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The authors of the study also found that the risk of stroke among lonely adults was higher regardless of accompanying symptoms of depression or feelings of social isolation. The study used data obtained by scientists from the University of Michigan, who followed almost 9,000 adults aged 50 and older who had not had a stroke for 10 to 12 years.
This is interesting: Loneliness reduces brain volume
Life expectancy
Considering the results of many scientific studies on the effects of long-term loneliness on health, the conclusion suggests itself – loneliness causes serious damage to physical and mental health and shortens life expectancy. Moreover, even subjective loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 32 and 26 percent, respectively, according to a meta-analysis of more than 3.4 million people.
Loneliness takes years off our lives. Image: magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu
When we're alone or away from a group, we essentially have to cope on our own, and our brains become much more alert. It's like being in a constant state of high alert, similar to the fight-or-flight response, experts say.
How to Fight the Loneliness Epidemic?
According to US Heart Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, there are a number of factors that contribute to loneliness. Today, we tend to be less likely to gather for dinner with friends or neighbors. We also spend more time on social media and online communication, which can be helpful in some ways but can take away from face-to-face interactions. He also notes that the loneliness epidemic has been growing for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made it much worse.
Fortunately, you don't have to change your life drastically to get rid of loneliness. Murthy suggests spending 15 minutes a day just chatting with friends, family, or co-workers. He says even five days of this seemingly short-term communication will help you feel better.
Fighting loneliness helps you live longer. Image: news.harvard.edu
While technology offers many wonderful benefits, we find that even something as simple as grocery delivery means we are less likely to run into people at grocery stores, retail stores, or our neighbors, says Murthy.
Still, the most effective way to connect with another person is in person. Even a few minutes spent with someone in person can be more effective than half an hour spent texting.
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Ultimately, strong social connections reduce the risk of premature death by as much as 50%. To prove this, scientists monitored the health of more than 308,000 people for seven and a half years and found that loneliness poses a greater health risk than air pollution, obesity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption. Be healthy and take care of yourself and your loved ones!