Monday, October 8, 2007

Loneliness Breeds More Health Problems

Loneliness undermines health by altering people’s cardiac function and disrupting their sleep, according to new research at the University of Chicago.

Doctors have known for sometime that lonely people do not live as long and have more medical problems than non-lonely people, but the reasons for this connection have not been clear. The new research demonstrates that lonely people may have more health problems because they perceive the world to be threatening and their orientation to others reduces positive feedback and emotional support.

These perspectives can ultimately lead to higher blood pressure and sleep disruptions. These factors, in turn, have been shown to have an impact on the body’s resilience in dealing with disease.

Read entire article.

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