Public health experts have disclosed that loneliness or people living alone or being socially isolated for an extended period of time increases the risk of heart disease, depression, sleep disturbances, and other negative health consequences.
According to the scientists, loneliness causes the body to release too many stress hormones, which raise blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels—all of which are important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases including diabetes and heart issues.
Similarly, the World Health Organisation, stated on Monday that this claims the lives of at least 871,000 individuals globally each year.
WHO also reported that this affects one in six people globally and, when combined with social isolation, can result in medical sickness.
Loneliness has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and suicide.
According to the WHO, lonely adults have more difficulty getting or maintaining employment, while lonely teenagers are 22% more likely to receive inferior grades than their friends.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with newsmen, the health experts emphasised the dangers of loneliness, pointing out that it impairs immunological function in addition to mental health.
According to Prof. Tanimola Akande, a public health expert at the University of Ilorin, loneliness can worsen mental health conditions, diabetes, and heart disease.
He claims that loneliness-induced inactivity tends to make a person hypertensive, unable to burn off carbs from eating, and, consequently, prone to obesity and its associated consequences.
Similarly, Dr. Timothy Olusegun, a public health expert expressed that persons who are lonely release more cortisol, and an excess of the hormone leads to inflammation and illnesses.
Additionally, the expert cautioned that staying lonley might cause chronic inflammation, which can result in cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Other studies and researches have further confirmed the health risks loneliness poses including; study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found which found that loneliness can alter immune system cells in a way that increases susceptibility to illness.
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