Team DailyPedia
WASHINGTON, USA. Are you always lonely? A recent study says loneliness may cause an early death.
According to Inquirer, a study published by the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) said that the dangers of social isolation have long been known but its effects on the body have not been well understood. In the recent study, it was revealed that loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by 14 percent in older adults.
Psychologist John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago and team leader of the study said that they have distinguished a link between isolation and a heightened expression of genes that are involved in inflammation and a reduction in the activity of other genes that play an essential role in the body’s immune system. Solitude can weaken a body’s antiviral response and the person becomes more prone to illnesses.
Researchers said, “Leukocyte gene expression and loneliness appear to have a reciprocal relationship, suggesting that each can help propagate the other over time. These results were specific to loneliness and could not be explained by depression, stress or social support.”
The researchers then studied monkeys that were highly social and found the same findings when they were isolated.
Both the “lonely” monkeys and the isolated humans had increased levels of monocytes in their blood, increasing inflammation and decreasing the antiviral effects of their white blood cells. This shift in monocytes may transmit loneliness and increase health risks.
