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Can loneliness affect your heart? Study reveals women are affected worse

ByTapatrisha Das
Dec 31, 2024 01:39 PM IST

Loneliness can do more than just making you unhappy. It can lead to heart diseases and stroke. Know from the study here.

Loneliness is a personal experience where one feels isolated from their surroundings and their personal desires. Prolonged feelings of loneliness can affect a person’s health, thoughts and longevity as well. In a recent study, it was observed that loneliness can also affect a person’s cardiovascular health.

Loneliness can lead to chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of stroke. (Pexels)
Loneliness can lead to chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of stroke. (Pexels)

The study published in Biological Psychology shows that the results are more prominent in women than men. Loneliness can lead to reduced heart rate during situations of social stress which can lead to a decreased ability of the autonomic nervous system to regulate cardiovascular function. Also read | As temperature dips, loneliness heightens: Here’s how you can make connections

Loneliness can make a person immensely unhappy. However, it can affect the body and mind in more ways than one. It can also lead to chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of stroke.

Findings of the study:

The study was conducted on 97 college students aged 17 to 29 in good physical shape and free from significant life incidents in their lives. The participants had to adhere to the guidelines of avoiding smoking, alcohol, and caffeine for 24 hours and abstaining from eating for one hour. The level of loneliness in the participants were measured by assessments of neuroticism, social network size, and mood to control for potential confounding factors. Also read | Lonely and depressed students miss out on a lot; study explains the emotional benefits they don't get

The results demonstrated diminished heart rate variability reactivity during social stress, indicating that for lonely individuals, the autonomic nervous system might be less effective in regulating the cardiovascular functions, especially in situations of social stress.

Loneliness can affect your heart health.(Pexels)
Loneliness can affect your heart health.(Pexels)

Study author Bin Yu, an associate professor of health psychology at Tianjin University, told PsyPost, “We turned our attention to the physiological mechanisms underlying the link between loneliness and cardiovascular health. Atypical cardiovascular reactivity to acute stress has been identified as a potential pathway contributing to negative cardiovascular outcomes. Previous studies have explored cardiac measures such as heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac impedance in response to stress, but heart rate variability has been largely overlooked.”

Interestingly, women exhibited more impact of loneliness on their heart health than men, indicating that women might be more dependent on social connections for stress regulation. Also read | Feeling lonely? Study says loneliness increases your risk of developing dementia by 31%

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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