Summary: A comprehensive study underscores the alarming link between social isolation, loneliness, and heightened mortality risks.
The meta-analysis, involving over two million participants, found a significant increase in all-cause mortality rates for socially isolated and lonely individuals. Furthermore, these risks were exacerbated for individuals with pre-existing health conditions like cardiovascular disease or breast cancer.
The findings accentuate the importance of prioritizing social health to boost public well-being and reduce mortality risks.
Key Facts:
- Social isolation was associated with a 32% increased risk of all-cause mortality and a 24% increased risk of cancer mortality.
- Loneliness was associated with a 14% increased risk of all-cause mortality and a 9% increased risk of cancer mortality.
- For individuals with pre-existing health conditions such as cardiovascular disease or breast cancer, social isolation was linked with an even higher risk of all-cause mortality and cancer-specific mortality.
Source: Neuroscience News
A recent comprehensive meta-analysis conducted on prospective cohort studies, including over 2 million individuals, has uncovered robust associations between social isolation, loneliness, and increased mortality rates.
These findings highlight the critical importance of social connections to our overall health, serving as a poignant reminder of our inherently social nature.
The profound impact of social isolation and loneliness on our health
This groundbreaking study has shed light on the significant health risks associated with both social isolation and loneliness.
Social isolation was found to be associated with a 32% increase in the risk of mortality from all causes.
Similarly, loneliness was associated with a 14% increased risk. When we delve into specific causes of death, such as cancer, the results are equally startling.
Social isolation and loneliness were associated with a 24% and 9% increased risk of cancer mortality, respectively. Furthermore, social isolation was found to augment the risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by 34%.
A closer look at individuals with pre-existing health conditions
When the researchers focused on individuals who had pre-existing health conditions such as CVD or breast cancer, the results were no less striking.
Socially isolated individuals with CVD or breast cancer had a 28% and 51% increased risk of all-cause mortality, respectively. Moreover, socially isolated individuals with breast cancer faced a 33% higher risk of cancer-specific mortality.
This data paints a stark picture of how our social experiences can significantly affect our physical health, even when dealing with serious medical conditions like CVD and cancer.
Interpreting the implications
These findings not only underline the grave health implications of social isolation and loneliness but also underscore the need to prioritize social health as a vital aspect of public health.
The health risks associated with social isolation and loneliness are significant and can’t be ignored.
The question then arises: how can we reduce social isolation and loneliness, particularly among those with existing health conditions?
The need for comprehensive public health strategies
The solution requires comprehensive, multi-pronged strategies at the societal level. We need to foster communities that encourage social interactions and cultivate supportive relationships.
Health practitioners need to be aware of the health risks associated with social isolation and loneliness and should integrate assessments of social health into routine health check-ups.
Programs that facilitate social connections, such as community activities and support groups, can be particularly beneficial for individuals with pre-existing health conditions. For these individuals, fostering social connections could serve as a crucial aspect of disease management and could potentially improve both their quality of life and their prognosis.
In a world where social isolation and loneliness are increasingly prevalent, these findings serve as a stark reminder of the profound impact of our social experiences on our health.
The complex interplay between social experiences and health outcomes remains an active area of research, with the hope that further investigations will reveal actionable insights to improve public health.
The evidence is clear: we must confront the health risks associated with social isolation and loneliness head-on. By fostering social connections and prioritizing social health, we can improve the well-being of our communities and potentially mitigate the risk of mortality among socially isolated and lonely individuals.
The health of our communities depends not only on medical advancements but also on our ability to connect with one another.
About this social isolation and mortality research news
Author: Neuroscience News Communications
Source: Neuroscience News
Contact: Neuroscience News Communications – Neuroscience News
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“A systematic review and meta-analysis of 90 cohort studies of social isolation, loneliness and mortality” by Fan Wang et al. Nature Human Behavior
Abstract
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 90 cohort studies of social isolation, loneliness and mortality
The associations between social isolation, loneliness and the risk of mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are controversial.
We systematically reviewed prospective studies on the association between social isolation, loneliness and mortality outcomes in adults aged 18 years or older, as well as studies on these relationships in individuals with CVD or cancer, and conducted a meta-analysis.
The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (reg. no. CRD42022299959). A total of 90 prospective cohort studies including 2,205,199 individuals were included.
Here we show that, in the general population, both social isolation and loneliness were significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (pooled effect size for social isolation, 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26 to 1.39; P < 0.001; pooled effect size for loneliness, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.20; P < 0.001) and cancer mortality (pooled effect size for social isolation, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.19 to 1.28; P < 0.001; pooled effect size for loneliness, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.17; P = 0.030).
Social isolation also increased the risk of CVD mortality (1.34; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.44; P < 0.001). There was an increased risk of all-cause mortality in socially isolated individuals with CVD (1.28; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.48; P = 0.001) or breast cancer (1.51; 95% CI, 1.34 to 1.70; P < 0.001), and individuals with breast cancer had a higher cancer-specific mortality owing to social isolation (1.33; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.75; P = 0.038).
Greater focus on social isolation and loneliness may help improve people’s well-being and mortality risk.
