Loneliness, social isolation increase risk of heart failure: Study

Social disconnection can be classified into two separate, but linked, components. “Social isolation” objectively refers to being alone or having little social connection, while “loneliness” is defined as a painful feeling when one’s actual level of social interaction is less than they would like. Is.

For the study, the researchers looked at data from the UK Biobank Study, which followed population health outcomes over 12 years and assessed psychosocial factors such as social isolation and loneliness through self-reported questionnaires. Researchers looked at health outcomes for more than 400,000 middle-aged and older adults. Previous studies have been inconclusive, with inconsistent results and used different measurements to assess social isolation and loneliness, said Zihui Zhang, MD, PhD, a researcher at Guangzhou Medical University in Guangzhou, China, and the study’s senior author. Told.

The researchers found that both social isolation and loneliness increased the risk of hospitalization or death from heart failure by 15% to 20%. However, they also found that social isolation was only a risk factor when loneliness was not also present. In other words, if a person was socially isolated and felt lonely, loneliness was more important. Loneliness also increases the risk even if the person is not socially isolated. Loneliness and social isolation were more common in men and were also associated with adverse health behaviors and conditions, such as tobacco use and obesity.

Zhang said one reason for these findings could be that people can feel lonely even when they are in relationships or interacting with others.

“These findings indicate that the effect of subjective loneliness was more significant than that of objective social isolation,” he said. “These results suggest that when loneliness is present, social isolation is more likely to be associated with heart failure.” does not appear to be significant. Loneliness is likely to be a stronger psychological stressor than social isolation because loneliness is common among individuals who are hostile or have strained social relationships.”

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

“We will focus more on individuals who are feeling lonely to intervene,” he said. “For those individuals who do not feel lonely, we will screen for social isolation,” he said.

They said the findings are particularly relevant as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the effects of social isolation and loneliness across a wide range of health outcomes.

In a related editorial comment, Sarah J. Goodlin, MD, researcher in patient-centered education and research, and Sheldon Gottlieb, associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, noted that social isolation and loneliness are often influenced by a person’s social status. economic condition.

“The association with social isolation and loneliness is strongest in people at the peak of social isolation and loneliness and is compounded by low socioeconomic status,” Goodlin and Gottlieb said, “as social determinants of health are increasingly recognized as important components of patient well-being.” -centred health care, it may be appropriate to incorporate specific interventions, such as the incorporation of ‘social prescription’ into care.

For future studies, the researchers plan to examine the effects of social isolation and loneliness on key health outcomes in vulnerable populations, including patients with type 2 diabetes, and conduct experimental studies to better understand those mechanisms. There are also studies working through which social isolation and loneliness affect the heart. Health

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