Loneliness could increase the risk of developing certain cardiovascular diseases

Loneliness could increase the risk of developing certain cardiovascular diseases
Loneliness could increase the risk of developing certain cardiovascular diseases

Researchers at Cambridge University suggest, in a recent study, that loneliness causes an increase in certain proteins in the body that are linked to cardiovascular diseases.

Many studies have previously indicated that poor health causes loneliness, but this new scientific article published in the journal Nature seems to show that the opposite link is also possible, reports The Guardian.

By analyzing data collected from 42,000 participants, the researchers identified 175 proteins associated with social isolation and 26 others associated with the loneliness that some participants said they felt.

The majority of these were more present among people who indicated feeling loneliness or social isolation.

About 50% of these proteins are found to be linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

“I think the message is that people need to realize that staying connected to other people is part of their health, both for mental and physical well-being,” says the co-author of study, Professor Barbara Sahakian, in an interview with The Guardian.

None of these proteins directly cause loneliness or social isolation, according to the researchers.

However, loneliness could accentuate the presence of five of them, which would also be linked to numerous inflammations and markers of poor metabolic health.

The researchers conclude their study by calling for more research to be done to better understand the links between these proteins and loneliness with the ultimate goal of enabling better prevention from a public health perspective.

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