loneliness is more than just a feeling — it triggers physiological changes which may cause illness and early death in older adults, a new study has claimed.
Perceived social isolation is a major health risk for older adults that can increase their risk of premature death by 14 per cent, researchers said. Researchers have long known the dangers of loneliness, but the cellular mechanisms by which loneliness causes adverse health outcomes have not been well understood.
Now a team of researchers, including University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo, has shed new light on how
loneliness triggers physiological responses that can ultimately make us sick.