14 DAY TRIAL // A team of investigators at the University of Chicago has discovered in a new study that seniors who suffer from extreme loneliness are 14 percent more likely to die prematurely than their peers who receive constant visits, or who engage in social interactions with other people.
The group determined that even feeling such extreme loneliness can be detrimental to the human body, especially in old age. The correlation is so significant that loneliness is almost on par (14 as opposed to 19 percent) with disadvantaged socioeconomic status in terms of the risks of early death it implies.
For individuals over the age of 65, extreme loneliness is twice more likely to lead to an early grave than obesity, which is a major health risk factor for the entire population, a meta-analysis published in 2010 revealed. University of Chicago social psychologist Dr. John Cacioppo, says that the findings he and his team made recently are in tune with these conclusions.
The expert is one of the leading experts on loneliness in the United States. In the new study, he and his colleagues looked at how the mental and physical health of people declined as they aged. When they analyzed the effects of social isolation, the results were devastating.
The group says that a lack of social interactions can led to elevated blood pressure, disrupted sleep patterns, increased production of the major stress hormone cortisol in the mornings, modified expression patterns in genes coding for immune cells, and increased risk of depression.
Overall, seniors who were lonely reported a significant lower level of overall well-being than their peers who regularly engaged with others, PsychCentral reports. Fortunately, the study also reveals some mechanisms for the elderly to cope with such situations.
Seniors can try to keep in touch with former co-workers to avoid feelings of loneliness, in addition to taking an active role in family life. Friends and family should always be close by, giving the elderly a chance to connect with people who care about them.
“Retiring to Florida to live in a warmer climate among strangers isn’t necessarily a good idea if it means you are disconnected from the people who mean the most to you. Population changes make understanding the role of loneliness and health all the more important,” Cacioppo explains.
The new findings are relevant because “we are experiencing a silver tsunami demographically. The baby boomers are reaching retirement age. Each day between 2011 and 2030, an average of 10,000 people will turn 65,” the investigator concludes.