Why Loneliness Is Bad for Your Health

Loneliness can make people sick. Isolation may lead to cardiovascular disease and viral infections, and it may also result in a higher mortality rate. None of these findings are new to doctors. However, they have no clue how loneliness gradually undermines human health.

Now, in an article in the September issue of the online magazine Genome Biology, we finally found the answer. Loneliness makes us sick because it affects the very core of our body - our genes.

In an experiment involving a small group of patients, researchers examined more than 20,000 different human genes, comparing the differences in molecular movement between the genes of lonely and non-lonely individuals through the study of patient DNA, as well as the ultimate impact of these differences on their health. The researchers discovered that there were 209 noticeable differences in the gene sequences of patients who have long-term feelings of loneliness compared to ordinary people, and most of these 209 genetic mutations align with certain diseases, such as hyperactive immunity, inflammation, and dull responses to infection. Steve Cole, the chief editor of this research report from the University of California, Los Angeles, said, "We are now studying the relationship between social experiences and human health at the molecular level."