Researchers from the University of Cambridge and China’s Fudan University have found that people who feel lonely or socially isolated have altered levels of certain proteins in their blood, The Guardian reports.
Of the participants in the UK Biobank study, 9.3% said they felt socially isolated and 6.4% said they felt lonely. Analyzing the blood of these people, the researchers identified 175 proteins associated with social isolation and 26 proteins related to feelings of loneliness.
Most of these proteins were present in higher amounts and are involved in inflammation, antiviral responses and immune system function.
Following the health of the participants for 14 years, the team found that 90% of the identified proteins are related to the risk of death, about 50% of the proteins are associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes, and loneliness influences directly the levels of five specific proteins, which in turn are linked to inflammation and metabolism.
Dr. Chun Shen, the study’s lead author, points out that one of these proteins, called ADM, can explain on average 7.5% of the link between loneliness and the risk of illness or death.
Professor Marko Elovainio of the University of Helsinki, who was not involved in the research, suggests that other factors may also contribute to the negative health effects of loneliness, such as excessive alcohol consumption and lack of physical activity.
The World Health Organization has already declared social isolation and loneliness a major problem globally, and this study provides the first concrete evidence of the biological mechanisms by which loneliness can make us sick.
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Source: jurnalul.ro
