During the pandemic, social isolation has become commonplace for us. However, it’s still not worth it to move away from society too often without a real need (especially if you are a pensioner) — and here’s why.
Researchers from the University of California (San Diego, USA), whose article In the magazine JAMA Network Open, analyzed data on nearly 58 American women over 65.
In 2011-2012, these women, who at the time were free of cardiovascular disease, answered questions about the extent to which they felt lonely and socially isolated. Three years later, the survey was repeated. Information about the participants was collected up to 2019 — during this time, cardiovascular diseases were found in almost 1600 women.
An analysis of the collected data showed that feelings of loneliness increase the risk of heart disease by 5%, and social isolation by 8%. If older women suffer from both loneliness and social isolation, their risk of developing cardiovascular disease is 13-27% higher than those who do not suffer from either.
In their calculations, the researchers took into account such risk factors for heart disease as obesity, smoking, low physical activity, unhealthy diet, high blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, the presence of diabetes and depression.
“We are social beings. So many people suffer from loneliness and social isolation during a pandemic, and the situation can only worsen, becoming chronic. Therefore, it is so important to understand how the psychological state affects health and well-being in the short and long term, — one of the authors of the study, Natalie Golazhevsky.
As its co-author John Bellettiere explained, loneliness and social isolation are not too related — a person can live isolated from society, but not feel lonely, and vice versa, a person suffering from feelings of loneliness can be surrounded by people.
“Social isolation means that you are physically separated from other people, unable to touch them, see them or talk to them. And loneliness is an emotion that can be experienced even by those who are in regular contact with others,” Bellettiere explained.