Ghost of Midnight

The deadly impact of social isolation

Yesterday’s New York Times reports… “How Social Isolation is Killing Us“… a compelling and brief read by Dr. Dhruv Khullar.  He ends by saying…

A great paradox of our hyper-connected digital age is that we seem to be drifting apart. Increasingly, however, research confirms our deepest intuition: Human connection lies at the heart of human well-being. It’s up to all of us doctors, patients, neighborhoods and communities to maintain bonds where they’re fading, and create ones where they haven’t existed.

Front Porch Forum works to counter isolation… to help neighbors connect and build community.  More from Dr. Khullar…

Social isolation is a growing epidemic one that’s increasingly recognized as having dire physical, mental and emotional consequences. Since the 1980s, the percentage of American adults who say they’re lonely has doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent…

A wave of new research suggests social separation is bad for us. Individuals with less social connection have disrupted sleep patterns, altered immune systems, more inflammation and higher levels of stress hormones.

One recent study found that isolation increases the risk of heart disease by 29 percent and stroke by 32 percent.

Another analysis that pooled data from 70 studies and 3.4 million people found that socially isolated individuals had a 30 percent higher risk of dying in the next seven years, and that this effect was largest in middle age.

Loneliness can accelerate cognitive decline in older adults, and isolated individuals are twice as likely to die prematurely as those with more robust social interactions. These effects start early: Socially isolated children have significantly poorer health 20 years later, even after controlling for other factors.

All told, loneliness is as important a risk factor for early death as obesity and smoking.