broken heart? Danish study says multiple breakups and loneliness increase "mortality rate" for single men
Does being single for a long time lead to poor health in men? People who have been broken up frequently and live alone may have an increased risk of death
The long-term lack of companionship may not be personal intention. However, difficulties in the emotional world may indeed have an impact on physical health. A study published in the British Medical Journal pointed out that men who have been lacking a partner for a long time and suffered repeated breakups may have an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The research team of Rikke Lund and Dr. Karolina Koch Davidsen from the Department of Social Medicine at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark used data from the “Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank” to analyze 1,442 cases from 1986 to 2011. Health indicators of 3,170 Danish women and 3,170 men aged between 48 and 62 years. About half of the subjects experienced relationship problems such as relationship breakdown and living alone.
The study also took into account variables such as the subject’s education level, life events that may affect health, weight, long-term health conditions, and medications that affect inflammatory symptoms. In the test of blood samples, the subjects’ “interleukin-6” (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were extracted as observation indicators of inflammation.
The results of the study found that men who had experienced more relationship breakdowns had an average of 17% higher levels of inflammation in blood tests than other subjects; men who had lived alone for seven years or more had 12% higher levels of inflammation. Dr. Davidsen believes that an increase in the body’s inflammation index will increase an individual’s risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, and may increase an individual’s risk of “premature death.”
The research team also found that those with higher concentrations of C-reactive protein generally had higher educational levels and lived alone for about 2-6 years; those with higher concentrations of interleukin-6 had lived alone for more than 7 years.
Do being single and divorce seriously affect your physical and mental health? Modern people should maintain a “happy and lonely” life
However, the results of the study did find that women who had experienced multiple relationship breakups and lived alone for a long time did not have a significant increase in inflammation levels in their bodies. Dr. Davidsen said that in the same relationship situation, the inflammation index is different between men and women. The possible reason is that men tend to “externalize” their behaviors after the relationship breaks down, such as smoking, drinking, or abusing drugs; women tend to “internalize” " behavior, leading to psychological problems such as depression and anxiety.
Dr. Davidsen added that more men than women participated in the study, which may also be a reason for the difference. In addition, the average age of female subjects is 54.5 years old, which is significantly lower than that of male subjects, and the signs of chronic inflammation may not be as obvious as those of men.
Dr. Davidsen said that most of the current research on the correlation between interpersonal relationships and health focuses on “divorced” or “single” people, and many experts are concerned about the increasing trend of loneliness among modern people. In order to reduce loneliness, Dr. Davidsen recommends that people should stay away from social media when appropriate, and achieve “happy loneliness” through exercise, contact with nature, or participation in volunteer activities. If you feel that loneliness has seriously affected your life, it is still necessary to seek medical treatment or psychological counseling in a timely manner.
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