The subjective experience of a mismatch between desired and actual levels of social connection is known as loneliness, or “perceived social isolation.” In contrast to social separation, which is a subjective feeling, loneliness is an objective measure of connectedness.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr. Prashant Pawar, Cardiac Interventional Consultant, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi, said, According to some estimates, a lack of social connections can increase your chances of dying by up to 50%. The incidence of loneliness is concerning, with nearly one-third of older adults in the United States reporting regularly experiencing loneliness in 2021, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study. ”
He explained: “Loneliness is an emotional response to social isolation. It is defined as the difference between an individual's intended social relationships and their actual social relationships. Therefore, the quality of connections, rather than the quantity of connections, has a greater impact on loneliness. A European Society of Cardiology study (EuroHeartCare 2018) showed that loneliness has a negative impact on the heart and is a strong predictor of early death. For both, living alone was found to be a less strong predictor of negative outcomes than loneliness.
Highlighting that socially isolated and lonely adults frequently experience chronic stress, Dr. Prashant Pawar revealed: “Socioeconomic and demographic changes have made modern societies more vulnerable to loneliness. Increasing longevity has meant that the number of people over 60 has tripled since 1950. Periods of living alone, increased frequency of loneliness are all related to aging. But loneliness can occur at any stage of life and is not solely caused by age-related losses.
According to him, the increase in single-family homes, later marriages, and the increase in households where both parents work are contributing to the increase in loneliness. Dr. Prashant Pawar pointed out: “The Internet has fundamentally changed the way people communicate and live their lives.Despite increasing access to digital media, more people are feeling socially isolated. Recent research suggests that social media use may actually be harming your health rather than improving it.
“Regardless of the type of heart disease, Denhart's research shows that loneliness affects all patients, even after controlling for body mass index (BMI), age, education, smoking, alcohol intake, and other conditions,” he said. “It was associated with worse outcomes.” . For both men and women, loneliness was associated with nearly twice the risk of death. It was shown that, regardless of gender, people who experienced loneliness had a much worse quality of life and were three times more likely to express feelings of anxiety and hopelessness. ”
Dr. Prashant Pawar elaborated that “health risk behaviors such as smoking, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise are associated with social isolation and loneliness.” Furthermore, hopelessness, anxiety, insanity, and social disengagement are all associated with loneliness. For both men and women, loneliness is a much higher predictor of early death, poorer mental health, and poorer quality of life for people with cardiovascular disease than living alone. ”
He said: 'According to European guidelines on cardiovascular prevention, people who experience social isolation and disconnection are more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease and die early. People who have the disease or are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease should have their psychological risk factors evaluated.”
