(02-03-13) Loneliness may cause physical illness

by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Feeling lonely disrupts the immune system and may lead to many
of the same health problems as chronic stress, according to a pair of studies
conducted by researchers from Ohio State University and presented at the annual
meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in New Orleans.

"It is clear from previous research that poor-quality relationships are linked
to a number of health problems, including premature mortality and all sorts of
other very serious health conditions. And people who are lonely clearly feel
like they are in poor-quality relationships," researcher Lisa Jaremka said.

The first study was conducted on 200 breast cancer survivors who had completed
their treatment within two months and three years before the start of the
study. The average participant's age was 51. All participants had their
loneliness assessed by a questionnaire on perception of isolation and
loneliness called the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Their blood was also tested for
levels of antibodies against two separate varieties of herpes virus:
cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr.

A majority of U.S. adults are infected with both herpes viruses, which have
the ability to go dormant in the body and reemerge if the immune system ever
becomes compromised. Therefore, levels of herpes antibodies in the blood are
considered a reliable marker of immune stress.

The researchers found that participants who ranked higher on the loneliness
test also had higher levels of cytomegalovirus antibodies, indicating lowered
immune function. They also reported higher levels of pain, depression and
fatigue.

Levels of Epstein-Barr antibodies were not affected by loneliness. The
researchers speculated that no effect might have been seen because the Epstein-
Barr virus tends to reactivate more later in life, and many of the participants
were older in age.

The findings suggest that like stress, loneliness may also cause pressure on
the immune system.

"Loneliness has been thought of in many ways as a chronic stressor," Jaremka
said, "a socially painful situation that can last for quite a long time."

Loneliness boosts inflammation
The second study was conducted on 144 of the women from the first study, plus
134 additional adults, all of whom were both middle-aged and overweight, and
who had no major health problems. Researchers collected blood from participants
just before requiring them to perform two stressful tasks: solving a mental
math problem and also giving an impromptu, five-minute speech while being
videotaped in front of three panelists. The participants were then given
lipopolysaccharide, a bacterial chemical, in order to stimulate an immune
response. The researchers found that lonelier people had significantly higher
levels of at least two separate inflammation markers.

Inflammation is a healthy part of the immune response, and therefore a sign of
immune stress. Chronic inflammation is associated with a number of serious
health problems, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, Type II diabetes,
arthritis, and many of the symptoms of aging.

Jaremka noted that the findings highlight the importance of maintaining strong
social ties.

"It's also important to remember the flip side, which is that people who feel
very socially connected are experiencing more positive outcomes," she said.

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130119185019.htm

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