Written by: Lindsay Sibson
I’ll save you the lecture about how BAD smoking is for your health (because you already know this).
However, have you heard of something seemingly harmless that could be as DEADLY as smoking?
And shockingly enough it isn’t another drug or alcohol… it is feeling LONELY.
Harvard University researchers have found a link between blood clotting protein levels caused by loneliness and increasing your susceptibility to heart attacks and strokes.
How Loneliness Impacts Your Health
Not socializing with friends and family and being alone activates your “fight or flight” stress signal. When this happens, it causes your protein levels (fibrinogen) to go up in case you get injured.
As a result of too much fibrinogen, fatty deposits build up in your arteries.
The Harvard Study
Harvard researchers studied people with varying amounts of friends and family and were able to find a connection by comparing their blood-clotting protein levels.
The results?
Fibrinogen levels were HIGHER in people who socialized less often and had fewer friends:
The study observed that having fewer friends results in people feeling more vulnerable (and sometimes threatened), which results in an ongoing triggering of your flight or fight response… often in lethal doses.
Dr. David Kim, lead author of the study, stated:
“Measurement of the whole social network can provide information about an individual’s cardiac risk that is not necessarily apparent to the individual herself.
“Social connectedness displays a significant association with fibrinogen.
“If there is indeed an independent causal relationship between social isolation and fibrinogen and subsequently, heart disease and stroke, then policies and interventions that improve social connectedness may have health effects even beyond the well-known benefits of improved economic conditions.”
The York Study
To further support the notion that loneliness is damaging to your health, a separate study conducted at The University of York found:
The reasoning behind these stats is still up for debate, but some of the researchers felt it was a result of lonely people not having people around them to notice if they are well or motivate them to take care of their health.
The lead researcher of this study noted:
“These finding are consistent with a growing body of research indicating that social relationships are important for health.”
The Mental Health Foundation Study
It is often believed that loneliness is a larger issue for the elderly population. HOWEVER, this was found to not be true by The Mental Health Foundation… what was discovered is that 18 to 35 year olds often feel MORE lonely than those over 55 years of age.
Dr. Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director of The British Heart Foundation, stated:
“BHF-funded research has already identified that social isolation can have a negative impact on your health.
“We can’t conclude from this study that social isolation directly causes heart problems. But the possibility that social factors can affect a protein in our blood, like fibrinogen, is an interesting prospect for further research in this area.”
Overcoming Loneliness
Want to learn more about how to connect with others and build meaningful relationships? Check out this video to learn:
Glenn was in an accident with a hockey puck that made it so his mouth had to be wired shut! While he was going through recovery he found that Organifi Protein sustained him in a healthy way where he was able to maintain his muscle mass while still be able to loose weight.
-Tragedy Turns to Opportunity, Weightloss and Holistic Health
Glenn was in an accident with a hockey puck that made it so his mouth had to be wired shut! While he was going through recovery he found that Organifi Protein sustained him in a healthy way where he was able to maintain his muscle mass while still be able to loose weight.
-Tragedy Turns to Opportunity, Weightloss and Holistic Health
