The Health Risks of Loneliness

By lAurA FreemAn

There are no vaccines to protect us from this epidemic. Even before COVID, it was sweeping the nation, increasing the risks for disease and premature death. The Surgeon General’s recent call to action has been echoed by the CDC and the American Heart Association.

Loneliness and social isolation are having roughly the same impact on our health and lifespan as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The physical health consequences of this failure to connect are increasing the risk of heart disease by 29 percent, stroke by 32 percent, dementia 50 percent and premature death 60 percent.

The causes for this disconnect are widespread. Although the problem is too broad for the healthcare sector to solve alone, providers are in a position to spot the negative physical effects of loneliness in their patients, opening the potential to recognize developing health issues while intervention is still possible.

There are obvious links between feeling alone and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. But how do these feelings affect physical health? We’ve all heard about cases of broken heart syndrome when one spouse dies soon after the other. We’ve read studies about orphanages in eastern Europe where children who weren’t touched or nurtured failed to thrive. But why do married men tend to live longer than single men?

“The support of someone who cares goes a long way toward reducing the impact of stress on the body,” clinical psychologist and associate professor at UAB Medicine Megan Hays, PhD, ABPP, FAACVPR said. “Relationships can also have a positive biochemical effect. Just petting a therapy animal, getting a big hug from someone you love or having a satisfying romantic encounter releases Oxytosin, a hormone that has a lot of positive health effects. Known as the bonding hormone, it can improve mood,