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Loneliness Costs Up to 6 Years of Healthy Life
25 Sep
Summary
- Loneliness and social isolation can reduce disease-free life expectancy.
- Mental health is more severely impacted than physical health.
- Men may be more susceptible to the negative effects of loneliness.
Loneliness and social isolation can significantly reduce a person's disease-free life expectancy by up to six years, according to a recent study. Both physical and mental health are negatively affected, even in individuals who maintain healthy habits.
The study, which tracked over 277,000 participants in the UK Biobank, found that women experienced shorter disease-free periods for both physical and mental health compared to men. However, men showed a greater susceptibility to the detrimental effects of loneliness on their mental well-being.
While a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, could mitigate some risks associated with social isolation, it did not significantly reduce the health consequences of loneliness. This underscores the profound impact of meaningful connections on long-term health and longevity.
