Loneliness is lethal because it increases proteins which fur up the arteries and may trigger early death, a study suggests. Interactions with friends and family may keep us healthy because they boost our immune system, reduce our risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type two diabetes, the University of Cambridge found. Scientists studied the blood of more than 42,000 people enrolled in the United Kingdom’s Biobank, a long-term health-monitoring project, looking for internal differences in people who were socially isolated.
The team calculated social isolation and loneliness scores for individuals based on whether they lived alone, how frequently they have contact with others socially, and whether they take part in social activities. They also measured whether they “felt” lonely..
