Scientific proof that loneliness can shrink your BRAIN

Britain is in the throes of an epidemic, but not one caused by a virus, an unhealthy lifestyle or the food we eat.

Instead, one of the biggest emerging threats is chronic loneliness – a feeling of overwhelming isolation coupled with a lack of meaningful relationships now affecting 3.83 million people in the UK, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

And perhaps surprisingly, the numbers show that people under 30 are the loneliest age group – 16-29 year olds are twice as likely to be chronically lonely as those over 70.

This is not the kind of momentary loneliness that some may feel when kids start college or a relationship ends, but an all-consuming, long-term sense of isolation that affects mental well-being.

“Loneliness is a significant health problem that has continued to increase post-pandemic,” Robin Hewings, program director for the Campaign to End Loneliness community group, told Good Health: “For some of us, life went back to normal after the pandemic, but for others it didn’t. .’

And while it’s been known for some time that loneliness can be detrimental to health, scientists are beginning to unravel the reasons why. For example, alarming new research has found that loneliness can shrink our brains, increasing our risk of dementia.

Researchers at Kyushu University in Japan studied nearly 9,000 men and women aged 65 and older, tallying up the results of their MRI brain scans with details of how much regular contact they had with family and friends.

The results, published in the journal Neurology in July, showed that those with the least social contact also had the smallest brain volumes, especially in parts such as the hippocampus and amygdala associated with dementia. Researchers said it’s possible that a lack of social contact accelerates the brain’s gradual shrinkage, which happens as people age.

Other studies show that regular verbal and social encounters generate the nerve impulses necessary for the formation of new connections between brain cells – thus preserving brain volume.

But this is not the only impact loneliness has on health. In May, the US Surgeon General – the country’s top medical officer – even compared the impact on health to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.

Research shows that being socially isolated can shorten the life of someone over age 60 by up to five years, compared to peers who are not lonely, by increasing the risk of conditions such as cancer, heart disease and dementia.

A recent study, published in June in the European Heart Journal, looked at the risk of cardiovascular disease over a ten-year period in 18,509 adults in the UK with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes itself poses a high risk of heart attacks and strokes because it can lead to damage to the circulatory system. But the study found that the risks were even higher – 26 percent higher – if those affected also led an isolated existence, without friends and social contact.

But how can feeling left out of life have such a catastrophic effect on physical health?

One way is that the body reacts as if in danger by releasing the hormone cortisol, which increases heart rate and blood pressure so that we are ready to fight or flee the immediate threat. Chronic loneliness can cause persistent stress that turns this cortisol response on permanently.

Studies show that constant exposure to elevated cortisol can increase blood pressure, blood glucose levels, cholesterol and triglycerides — harmful fats in the blood.

A 2016 study published in the journal Heart, by researchers at Newcastle University, linked loneliness to a 30 percent increase in the risk of stroke or the development of coronary heart disease.

Research shows that being socially isolated can shorten the life of someone over 60 by up to five years, compared to peers who are not lonely (stock image)

Professor Chris Gale, a consultant cardiologist at Leeds University School of Medicine, told Good Health that loneliness can lead to stress levels high enough to damage the cardiovascular system.

“When you’re stressed, the body can release hormones like adrenaline, which makes your heart beat faster and blood pressure rise.”

Other mechanisms are under investigation, and since some people feel lonely even when surrounded by others, scientists are investigating whether loneliness and social isolation have different effects.

And it seems they do. Because while loneliness or social isolation can lead to slower walking and slower getting up from sitting, social isolation alone also leads to poorer balance, according to a study published in Scientific Reports in 2020.

All the evidence suggests that getting out and seeing more people is the answer. But it’s also the kind of interaction that matters.

Psychologists at Stirling University found that the key to levels of loneliness was physical contact with a friend or loved one — not just being in their company. The results, published in June in Scientific Reports, showed that even among cohabiting couples, feelings of loneliness decreased when there was regular physical contact just by holding hands or hugging.

And some old-fashioned pastimes can help, too. In an American study from Millersville University in Pennsylvania, published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work in July, writing letters to pen pals was very effective in combating isolation.

The researchers conclude: ‘Writing letters was a successful way of tackling loneliness and differs in many ways from emailing and texting.’