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A new study found that loneliness and social isolation shaved years off people\u2019s healthy lifespans.The link was more strongly associated with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.Experts discuss proactive steps people can take to help reduce loneliness in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s pretty well known that loneliness<\/a> can affect your mental health. What\u2019s less discussed is how it can wear on your body, too. Now, a new study digs deeper into the physiological effects, looking at how loneliness and social isolation could increase your risk of developing serious chronic conditions like heart disease<\/a> and diabetes.<\/p>\n Meet the Experts: Manisha Parulekar, M.D.<\/a>, chief of the division of geriatrics and co-director of the Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health; Jay Luthar, M.D.<\/a>, longevity doctor, founder of Lutanen Health, and instructor at Harvard Medical School; and Lindsey Rae Ackerman, L.M.F.T., a licensed therapist and chief clinical officer at Your Behavioral Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n The researchers discovered both play a big role: Loneliness and social isolation shaved years off people\u2019s healthy lifespans.<\/p>\n Below, experts weigh in on the findings and share how to maintain meaningful connections to support our mental and physical well-being.<\/p>\n What did the study find?<\/p>\n In the study, which was published in Nature Communications<\/a>, researchers looked at the health data and death records of a group of nearly 300,000 adults who were free of these major chronic diseases: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease (asthma and obstructive pulmonary disease), neurodegenerative disease (dementia and Parkinson\u2019s disease), and all cancers except non-melanoma skin cancer, as well as anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n The participants completed questionnaires that measured their levels of loneliness and social isolation; researchers defined loneliness as a subjective measure of social or emotional connectedness, or how unseen and unheard a person feels by others, and social isolation as an objective measure of how much time a person spends alone. Then the researchers followed them up for around 14 years.<\/p>\n At the end of the follow-up, they discovered that loneliness and social isolation were significantly associated with fewer years free from all seven of the chronic diseases.<\/p>\n \u201cInterestingly, the study found that loneliness has a greater detrimental effect than social isolation on both physical and mental health,\u201d explains Manisha Parulekar, M.D.<\/a>, chief of the division of geriatrics and co-director of the Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health at Hackensack University Medical Center. \u201cIt also found differences in how loneliness and social isolation affect men versus women.\u201d<\/p>\n Specifically, researchers found that 50-year-old women who experienced both loneliness and social isolation had roughly 2.5 fewer years without those physical chronic diseases compared to those who didn\u2019t, and men of the same demographic had roughly two fewer disease-free years.<\/p>\n And the effects on mental health were even greater. In general, women who were lonely and isolated had nearly four fewer years without anxiety and depression, while men had nearly six fewer years.<\/p>\n Loneliness appeared to pose the most risk; in the study, the effects of social isolation waned if people practiced other healthy lifestyle habits like eating a balanced diet and exercising. This implies that the emotional baggage of loneliness is particularly weighty\u2014something that can\u2019t be covered up by a routine or supplement.<\/p>\n \u201cA person can be in a large family, or be part of a club or organization, surrounded by many people, yet feel alone,\u201d explains Dr. Parulekar. \u201cThey feel they\u2019re not truly part of the group. Loneliness can also be felt in a relationship with another person\u2014a friend, a relative, or a partner\u2014where there is no bond or passion or affection.\u201d<\/p>\n Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.<\/p>\n Use your Google account to add this to your settings.<\/p>\n Add to Google settings<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to note that researchers looked at life expectancy free of major chronic diseases rather than simply the total number of years someone lived. \u201cThe findings suggest that loneliness and social isolation are associated with fewer healthy years, but they do not prove that loneliness directly causes an individual to die earlier,\u201d notes Jay Luthar, M.D.<\/a>, longevity doctor, founder of Lutanen Health, and instructor at Harvard Medical School. And because this was an observational study, other factors that might contribute to both loneliness and poorer health should be considered, including a person\u2019s socioeconomic and ability status.<\/p>\n How loneliness, health, and lifespan are connected<\/p>\n Researchers didn\u2019t outline exactly how loneliness and isolation may have affected participants\u2019 health\u2014they just identified the link. But our experts say there are several ways the two could be connected.<\/p>\n One is the chronic stress that loneliness can trigger. \u201cFeeling persistently disconnected from others may contribute to prolonged stress responses, changes in stress hormones, and inflammatory processes that could affect cardiovascular and metabolic health over time,\u201d explains Dr. Luthar. Basically, persistent stress can lead to inflammation<\/a>, which is a major contributor to the development of many chronic diseases.<\/p>\n Loneliness may also influence everyday health behaviors. \u201cPeople who feel disconnected may have more difficulty maintaining consistent sleep<\/a>, exercising regularly, eating well, or keeping up with preventive healthcare,\u201d says Dr. Luthar.<\/p>\n Then there is the mental health component. \u201cLoneliness and depression can reinforce one another, potentially creating a cycle in which psychological distress affects physical health and physical health challenges make social engagement more difficult,\u201d he adds. If a person doesn\u2019t have strong relationships, they may be lacking the help they need to stay healthy\u2014physically and mentally.<\/p>\n How to prevent loneliness and isolation<\/p>\n![\"Google\"](\"https:\/\/www.prevention.com\/_assets\/design-tokens\/fre\/static\/icons\/social\/google.1467f37.svg\")
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