Have you ever thought about how feeling alone can affect your health?
Recent research shows that both social isolation and feelings of loneliness can lead to a higher risk of heart failure.
But surprisingly, it’s how alone you feel, rather than how alone you really are, that may matter most.
Isolation vs Loneliness
First, let’s understand the difference between social isolation and loneliness. Being “socially isolated” means you’re physically alone, or don’t have much social contact.
“Loneliness,” on the other hand, is when you feel alone because your level of social interaction isn’t what you want it to be.
About the Study
The new research analyzed health information from the UK Biobank study. This large project followed the health of more than 400,000 adults over 12 years. It also asked participants about feelings of social isolation and loneliness.
Dr. Jihui Zhang, the senior author of the study, and his team found that both social isolation and loneliness upped the risk of heart failure by 15% to 20%.
But here’s the interesting part: feeling lonely was the bigger risk factor, even when someone was also socially isolated.
This means that loneliness was more important for heart health than the actual level of social contact.
The researchers also noticed that men were more likely to feel lonely or isolated, as were people with unhealthy habits like smoking or being overweight.
What this Means
Dr. Zhang suggests that people can feel lonely even when they are not alone. Loneliness could be a bigger stress factor than social isolation because it’s common in people who have tense social relationships or are generally hostile.
These findings highlight the need for better ways to identify and manage social isolation and loneliness in regular healthcare.
They also emphasize the importance of providing more social support and focusing on individuals who feel lonely.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has shown just how big an impact social isolation and loneliness can have on our health.
Looking Ahead
Future research will explore the impacts of social isolation and loneliness on specific health outcomes in vulnerable populations, like patients with Type 2 diabetes.
The researchers also plan to better understand how and why social isolation and loneliness affect heart health.
For now, this study is a reminder of the crucial role our emotional well-being plays in our physical health. It tells us that tackling loneliness could be a key strategy in protecting our hearts.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
For more information about mental health, please see recent studies about how dairy foods may influence depression risk, and results showing Omega-3 fats may help reduce depression.
The study was published in JACC Heart Failure. Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
