Are marginalized people shorter-lived? Study reveals that "loneliness" increases biological age by 1.65 years: It "shorts life span" more than smoking
Don’t underestimate the potential psychological problems caused by “loneliness”! Being alone and away from the community for a long time, mental illness may affect “biological age” and shorten life expectancy. According to a recent study published in the journal “Aging”, loneliness is more likely to accelerate “physiological aging” than smoking, eating habits or stress. On average, people age 1.65 years longer than healthy people.
Is being lonely and helpless worse than smoking? Study: Loneliness increases biological age by 1.65 years
A joint research team from Hong Kong and the United States used the “aging clock” statistical model they developed to measure the biological age status of about 12,000 people. The study included mental health problems, including depression, sleep problems, loneliness, unhappiness and a lower sense of expectation. In addition, the study also analyzed the subjects’ social status, marital status, place of residence and other factors. The results of the model calculation revealed that the four biggest causes of shortening biological age are “loneliness”, “smoking”, “marriage” and “sleep problems”, which respectively increase the biological age aging rate by 1.65 years, 1.25 years and 0.59 years. years and 0.44 years.
In addition, research also shows that subjects suffering from five diseases, including stroke, liver disease, lung disease, heart disease and cancer, have a significantly faster biological age. Study author Fedor Galkin pointed out that one of the key markers used to evaluate biological age is “systolic blood pressure” in blood pressure; the second is “cystatin C”, a protease inhibitor that evaluates kidney function.
“Previous studies have linked cystatin C to new-onset depression. The model shows that subjects with higher loneliness have more obvious cystatin C markers in their bodies, indicating the psychological impact of loneliness. The problem may indeed affect biological age. “Galkin believes that if one of the same people whose actual age is 30 years old is over 40 years old, their life expectancy may be shorter and their quality of life may be worse. Therefore, the public should pay special attention to the impact of mental health on life span.
Loneliness affects the brain’s “cortisol” and may lead to a “double increase” in the risk of diabetes
In addition to its impact on biological age, research published in “Diabetologia” also pointed out that the emotion of loneliness will affect the secretion of “cortisol”, which will lead to changes in the body’s cardiovascular system and increase the risk of diabetes. In an analysis of 24,024 participants, those with type 2 diabetes were more likely to be male (59% compared to 41% female), have a higher average age, be more likely to be married, and have the lowest level of education.
The research team showed that in this statistical result, subjects who often felt lonely had a risk of developing diabetes that was twice as high as that of healthy normal people, and had a greater impact than age, gender, marriage and other variables. Study author Roger E. Henriksen said loneliness may stimulate the body’s “stress response,” leading to changes in the body’s cardiovascular system and increased cortisol concentrations.
“Cortisol is also known as the ‘stress hormone’, and stress will cause patients to overeat, especially carbohydrate intake, and increase the incidence of insulin resistance. These processes are very important for the brain, which is in a state of stimulation and has extremely high metabolic requirements. In other words, it provides enough glucose to function, but it may cause additional burden or even negative effects on various organs of the body.”
Henriksen believes that people tend to ignore the importance of mental health due to their busy work and career. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of social isolation policies has made the public pay more and more attention to the additional risks of loneliness, such as difficulty sleeping, depression and even diabetes. Henriksen also called on the public to adopt practical techniques to promote mental health, including: getting enough sleep, meditating, outdoor activities, regular exercise, healthy eating habits, staying in touch with family and friends, practicing mindfulness and gratitude, etc.
Source:
Loneliness increases the risk of type 2 diabetes: a 20 year follow-up – results from the HUNT study
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