subject: To Find Out More About Dying Of Loneliness [print this page] It may seem like something straight out of a Victorian romance but as it turns out, there may be some truth to the idea of death by loneliness. Recently concluded research shows that dying of loneliness may be a very real possibility due to the effects of such feelings on the human immune system. The research shows that people who are lonely are more at risk for illness and early mortality than people who live happy and rewarding lives.
The bulk of the research involves using a "gene chip" to explore the DNA of test subjects. Of these people, it was found that those who professed to chronic loneliness generally had weaker immune system functioning than those who were happy. The author of the study is molecular biologist Steve Cole from the University of California. He said that the study shows a link between social isolation and genetic activity. This activity has a considerable effect on most of the body's internal processes.
The results of this new research seem to reinforce the idea of death by loneliness already discovered in previous studies. Earlier studies have shown that people who are lonely are more likely to develop infection, hypertension, and even some forms of cancer. Insomnia is also a common factor in people who are lonely, and all of these may contribute to early death.
Cole also attributed the possibility of death by loneliness to two factors. There is a social provision concept, which explains that people who have are in the presence of friends and family generally have the benefit of people who will look after them and make sure that they take their medications on time. For lonely people, the absence of companionship may explain the tendency toward illness and early death.
However, it is the other theory that more dramatically illustrates the possible causes of dying of loneliness. Cole and many other scientists suspect that there may be a link between loneliness and significant changes in bodily functions. With professor of psychology John Cacioppo, Cole embarked on new research that sought to examine this link.
In a study comprised of 14 volunteers, there where six subjects that fit into the definition of loneliness. These people were literally living with loneliness on a daily basis, and felt close to no one at all. The results of the study showed that surprisingly abnormal activity in the cells of these subjects. Most significantly, it was shown that their white blood cells-which are essential components of the body's immune system-showed considerable irregular activity with regard to protecting the body from tissue damage. Some of these cells were also shown to be actively producing antibodies that basically identify damaged cells for disposal.
For Cole and his associates, this study seems to suggest that lonely people suffer from conditions that require attention from these cells, which in turns seems to point to a correlation between illness and impaired body function and loneliness. Although more research will still need to be done, there seems to be enough evidence of the possibility of death by loneliness.
