A recent study by the University of Eastern Finland shows that loneliness
among middle-aged men is associated with an increased risk of cancer.
According to the researchers, taking account of loneliness and social
relationships should thus be an important part of comprehensive health care
and disease prevention. The findings were published in Psychiatry Research.
"It has been estimated, on the basis of studies carried out in recent years,
that loneliness could be as significant a health risk as smoking or
overweight. Our findings support the idea that attention should be paid to
this issue," Project Researcher Siiri-Liisi Kraav from the University of
Eastern Finland says.
The study was launched in the 1980s with 2,570 middle-aged men from eastern
Finland participating. Their health and mortality have been monitored on the
basis of register data up until present days. During the follow-up, 649 men,
i.e. 25% of the participants, developed cancer, and 283 men (11%) died of
cancer.
Loneliness increased the risk of cancer by about ten per cent. This
association with the risk of cancer was observed regardless of age,
socio-economic status, lifestyle, sleep quality, depression symptoms, body
mass index, heart disease and their risk factors. In addition, cancer
mortality was higher in cancer patients who were unmarried, widowed or
divorced at baseline.
"Awareness of the health effects of loneliness is constantly increasing.
Therefore, it is important to examine, in more detail, the mechanisms by
which loneliness causes adverse health effects. This information would
enable us to better alleviate loneliness and the harm caused by it, as well
as to find optimal ways to target preventive measures."
Reference:
Siiri-Liisi Kraav, Soili M. Lehto, Jussi Kauhanen, Sari Hantunen, Tommi
Tolmunen. Loneliness and social isolation increase cancer incidence in a
cohort of Finnish middle-aged men. A longitudinal study. Psychiatry
Research, 2021; 299: 113868 DOI:
10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113868