People who feel lonely are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke compared to those who regularly interact with others, latest evidence has revealed.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University in China have found that regular interactions with others can also combat the development of type 2 diabetes because speaking to people boosts our immune system.
Prior research has revealed that loneliness is associated with a higher risk of poor health and a premature death.
During this study, the team of scientists examined the blood samples of more than 42,000 people from the UK Biobank.
By looking at these samples, the researchers could assess which proteins in the blood were present in higher levels among people who were socially isolated or lonely.
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They identified 175 proteins linked with social isolation and 26 proteins associated with loneliness.
According to experts, a lot of these proteins are developed in response to viral infection, inflammation and as part of our immune responses.
Senior author Dr Chun Shen said: “We know that social isolation and loneliness are linked to poorer health, but we’ve never understood why.
“Our work has highlighted a number of proteins that appear to play a key role in this relationship, with levels of some proteins in particular increasing as a direct consequence of loneliness.”
Professor Jianfeng Feng said: “There are more than 100,000 proteins and many of their variants in the human body.
“AI and high throughput proteomics can help us pinpoint some key proteins in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in many human diseases and revolutionise the traditional view of human health.”
Professor Feng added: “The proteins we’ve identified give us clues to the biology underpinning poor health among people who are socially isolated or lonely, highlighting why social relationships play such an important part in keeping us healthy.”
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Loneliness can trigger high developments of ADM, the study has reported. Previous trials have shown that this protein helps regulate stress hormones and social hormones such as oxytocin.
Fellow author Professor Barbara Sahakian said: “These findings drive home the importance of social contact in keeping us well.
“More and more people of all ages are reporting feeling lonely. That’s why the World Health Organization has described social isolation and loneliness as a ‘global public health concern’.”
She added: “We need to find ways to tackle this growing problem and keep people connected to help them stay healthy.”
Read the study in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.