Loneliness found to be more deadly than obesity

Experts fear death through ‘social isolation’ could hit epidemic proportions that target young and elderly

LONELINESS is deadlier than obesity and should be considered a major public health hazard, a review into the problem has suggested.

Researchers in the US looked at 218 studies into the health effects of social isolation and loneliness involving nearly four million people.

They discovered that lonely people had a 50 per cent increased risk of early death, compared with those who had good social connections. In contrast, obesity raises the chance of dying before the age of 70 by around 30 per cent.

Dr Julianne Holt-lunstad, Professor of Psychology at Brigham Young University, Utah, and the study’s lead author, said people should prepare for retirement socially as well as financially, because for many people the workplace is their biggest source of companionship.

“Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need, crucial to both well-being and survival,” she said.

“Extreme examples show infants in custodial care who lack human contact fail to thrive and often die, and indeed, social isolation or solitary confinement has been used as a form of punishment. Yet an increasing portion of the population now experiences isolation regularly.”

According to the Campaign To End Loneliness, around 17 per cent of older people see friends, family and neighbours less than once a week, while one in 10 go for a month without seeing any loved ones.

A survey by the charity found that for two fifths of older people, around 3.9 million, television was their main source of company.

According to the Office for National Statistics, Britain is the loneliness capital of Europe with its inhabitants less likely to know their neighbours or have strong friendships.

Last year, the Local Government Association said loneliness should be treated as a “major health issue”, while Age UK claims the issue “blights the lives” of over a million people.

Laura Alcock-ferguson, Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness, said: “Meaningful social connections are essential for human happiness … We’re calling for the development of a Ukwide strategy for tackling loneliness and social isolation to help end this growing crisis.”

Although loneliness is often viewed as a problem for the elderly, a study by the Mental Health Foundation found that 18- to 34-year-olds were likely to feel lonely more often than over-55s.

Studies have shown that between 20 and 80 per cent of adolescents report feeling lonely often, compared with 40 to 50 per cent in an elderly population.

The researchers said greater priority should be placed on social skills training in schools while doctors should be encouraged to include social connectedness in medical screening, she said.

“With an increasing ageing population, the effect on public health is only anticipated to increase,” added Dr Holtlunstad. “Indeed, many nations now suggest we are facing a ‘loneliness epidemic’.”

A study by the University of York found that lonely people are around 30 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke or heart disease, two of the leading causes of death in Britain.

But the reasons have remained unclear. However, last year Harvard University found that having no friends was linked to increased levels of bloodclotting protein which can cause heart attacks and strokes.

It is now known that social isolation activates the ‘fight or flight’ stress signal, which increases levels of the protein fibrinogen in anticipation of injury and blood loss.

Too much fibrinogen is unhealthy, raising blood pressure and causing the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries.

People with just five friends in their social network had 20 per cent higher levels of fibrinogen than those with 25. Having fewer friends had the same impact on levels as taking up smoking.

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.