Social Ties & Longer Life Link

A new study from Brigham Young University researchers has shown that those who are more socially isolated will be at risk of dying younger than those that surround themselves with friends and family.

The study involved more than 300,000 people, and 148 previous studies, all of which worked to show a link between antisocial lifestyles and physical problems leading to death. The results seemed to indicate that those who had a strong social network were 50% less likely to die at a young age.

Julianne Holt-Lunstead, the leader of the study has theorized about why this might be the case, but she admits that there is no real evidence to put it down to any one factor.

Some beliefs about the cause might be the suppression of the immune system from lack of human to human contact, and riskier lifestyles of behaviors being practiced., due to a lack of accountability from friends and family.

Depression may also be a part, as there have been ties in the past to link sorrow and ill health.

A comparison to the isolation link has been made to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, but the generalization may not hold true when put to the test.

Regardless, it could be a benefit with physicians looking to improve patient care, as they look to the significance of a supportive social circle in treatment. This has been becoming more and more of an element to consider, with most doctors seeing the positive affect of having people close to a patient with an illness.

Filed Under: Research