Loneliness, social isolation raise risk of heart failure: Study

Social disconnection can be categorized into two distinct but connected components. “Social isolation” refers to being objectively isolated or having infrequent social connections, while “loneliness” refers to someone’s actual level of social interaction being lower than they would like. is defined as pain induced by low

For this study, researchers looked at data from a UK Biobank study. This study tracked the health status of the population over 12 years and assessed psychosocial factors such as social isolation and loneliness through self-reported questionnaires. Researchers examined health outcomes in a population of over 400,000 middle-aged and older adults. Previous studies were inconclusive, had inconsistent results, and used different measures to assess social isolation and loneliness, said researchers at the Guangzhou Medical University in Guangzhou, China. said Jihui Zhang, MD, PhD, senior author of the study.

The researchers found that both social isolation and loneliness increased the risk of hospitalization or death from heart failure by 15% to 20%. In other words, if a person is socially isolated and feels lonely, loneliness is more important. increased. Loneliness and social isolation were more common in men and were also associated with adverse health effects and status, such as tobacco use and obesity.

One reason for these findings, Zhang said, may be that people can feel lonely even when they’re forming relationships and interacting with others.

“These findings indicate that subjective effects of loneliness are more important than objective effects of social isolation,” he said, adding, “These results suggest that if loneliness is present, This suggests that social isolation is less important in its association with heart failure. can also be a strong psychological stressor.

Zhang said the study highlights the need for effective tools to screen for social isolation and loneliness in routine clinical care and the need for a broader push to provide more social support. It also shows the importance of distinguishing between these two factors.

“We will pay more attention to people who are feeling lonely in the intervention,” he said. “For individuals who are not feeling lonely, we will screen them for social isolation.” .

He said the findings are particularly important because the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the impact of social isolation and loneliness on a wide range of health outcomes.

In a related editorial, Sarah J. Goodlin, M.D., Ph.D., a researcher in Patient-Centered Education and Research, and Sheldon Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, argue that social isolation and loneliness are Socioeconomic status.

Goodlin and Gottlieb argue that “the relationship between social isolation and loneliness is probably strongest among people at the extremes of social isolation and loneliness, exacerbated by their lower socioeconomic status.” As such, it may be appropriate to incorporate specific interventions into care, such as ‘social prescribing’. ”

For future research, the researchers plan to investigate the effects of social isolation and loneliness on key health outcomes in vulnerable populations, including people with type 2 diabetes, and find out that social isolation and loneliness affect the heart and mind. We are also working on experimental studies to better understand the mechanisms that affect vascular health.

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