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Being alone is hazardous to your health, study finds


Being alone —even if one does not mind being so— can be hazardous to health, as shown by a new study conducted by researchers at the University College London.
 
The study by Andrew Steptoe, Aparna Shankar, Panayotes Demakakos, and Jane Wardle assessed 6,500 men and women aged 52 and up.
 
"Both social isolation and loneliness were associated with increased mortality. However, the effect of loneliness was not independent of demographic characteristics or health problems and did not contribute to the risk associated with social isolation. Although both isolation and loneliness impair quality of life and well-being, efforts to reduce isolation are likely to be more relevant to mortality," the researchers said in their abstract posted on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) website.
 
In their study, the researchers assessed social isolation in terms of contact with family and friends and participation in civic organizations.
 
Also, the subjects had filled out questionnaires on loneliness as early as 2004 and 2005.
 
"We found that mortality was higher among more socially isolated and more lonely participants. However, after adjusting statistically for demographic factors and baseline health, social isolation remained significantly associated with mortality ... but loneliness did not," they said.
 
A separate article on io9.com said this shows even people "who don’t mind being alone are still significantly more likely to die when their social networks are diminished."
 
After tracking the participants’ health over the next seven years, the researchers found social disconnectedness was linked to higher mortality, regardless of the cause of death, io9.com noted.
 
On the other hand, they said loneliness, "as a factor on its own, could not be linked to the deaths."
 
"In many ways, social isolation and loneliness are two sides of the same coin ... Social isolation indicates a lack of contact with friends, relatives and organizations, while loneliness is a subjective experience of lack of companionship and social contact,” said Steptoe.
 
Good health
 
The io9.com article also quoted Julianne Holt-Lunstad as citing two possible mechanisms where a thriving social network of friends and family could contribute to good health.
 
One is the ongoing support of other people that may reduce the harmful effects of stress - "it could be that isolation reduces immune function."
 
A second is the influence of others "may also encourage behavior that contributes to good health (such as eating properly, taking medications, and practicing proper hygiene)."
 
“When you’re socially isolated, you not only lack companionship in many cases, but you may also lack advice and support from people,” Steptoe said.
 
Because of this, io9.com said physicians, health professionals, educators and the media may have to take social disconnection seriously.
 
It added medical professionals "should routinely evaluate patients' social networks, and recommend more connections with other people." — TJD, GMA News
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