Can Loneliness Cause Premature Aging?

by WiredBerries Editors — August 29, 2007

There may be a whole new reason to make and keep a few good life-time friends. University of Chicago researchers are saying that while the toll of loneliness may appear mild and unremarkable in early life, it accumulates over time and can have a significant effect on one’s health and vitality. According to these psychologists, the more years you live, the more stressful experiences you are going to have: new jobs, marriage and divorce, parenting, financial worries, illness, and so on.

Physiological testing revealed that Epinephrine, one of the body’s "fight or flight" chemicals, is higher in lonely people. As with blood pressure, this physiological toll becomes more apparent with aging. Since the body’s stress hormones are intricately involved in fighting inflammation and infection, it appears that loneliness contributes to the wear and tear of aging through this pathway as well. The researchers also found that lonely people had poorer sleep quality, which may interfere with the body’s natural restoration process.

However, the researchers explained, loneliness is not the same as solitude. Some people are just fine with being alone, and some even see solitude as an important path to spiritual growth. But for most of us, social isolation and physical aging make for a toxic cocktail.