2024-07-10 09:54:26
It is well known that lifestyle influences the risk of stroke. But now a study shows that the psyche also plays a special role.
One in three Germans feels lonely at least to some extent. But it is not just in the Western world: Loneliness has long since become a global problem. Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) set up a commission to investigate how social contacts promote health.
People without strong social contacts are at a higher risk of anxiety disorders, dementia, depression and suicide, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The risk of premature death for lonely people is at least as high as the risk of death from tobacco consumption, obesity or air pollution.
Apparently, the feeling of loneliness also increases the risk of stroke. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by Harvard University. In it, over 12,000 adults over the age of 50 reported on their loneliness. Four years later, almost 9,000 of them answered the same questions again.
Based on the responses, the researchers formed four groups based on the level of loneliness:
During the observation period, 1,237 participants whose loneliness was only measured once at the beginning suffered a stroke. In the group that had given two assessments of their loneliness, the number was 601.
The researchers concluded that those participants who reported a continuous feeling of loneliness had a 56 percent increased risk of stroke compared to the group who consistently reported not feeling lonely.
“Repeated loneliness assessments can help identify those who are chronically lonely and therefore at higher risk of stroke,” explained study author Yenee Soh. “Importantly, these interventions must specifically target loneliness, which is a subjective perception and should not be confused with social isolation.”
Harvard researchers had previously determined that loneliness and social isolation are not the same thing. Social isolation is defined as a lack of human contact. Loneliness, however, is a feeling that missing or existing relationships do not fulfill the need for connection.