Loneliness and social isolation has been tied to many different health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, and cognitive decline. Recently, researchers at the University of York combined date obtained from 23 different studies and found that isolation contributed to higher rates of heart disease and stroke.
The researchers looked at studies that encompassed more than 180,000 different adults in high income countries located in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The data revealed that those who reported having few social connections or feeling lonely had a 29% higher risk of heart disease and a 32% higher risk of stroke when compared to peers who reported feeling well connected to others. The studies that were looked at monitored participants for anywhere from three to 21 years and looked at their self-reported levels of loneliness and their health issues.
Researchers concluded that loneliness could be as much of a risk as anxiety is for heart disease. However, it is still lower than the risk that smoking cigarettes bring. It is important to note that the link between social isolation has also been linked to increased risk of smoking, so the two could be related. It is also possible that those who are lonely are less likely to recover from health problems, and those who are isolated may be less active and less likely to seek out care from a doctor. Additionally, the stress of isolation can raise blood pressure.
More research is needed to further understand the role that social connections play in overall health.
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