|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By: George Citroner
Is it possible that preventing Parkinson’s disease—the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease—could be as simple as calling a friend or visiting a neighbor?
While doctors have long known that genetics, toxins, and head injuries can increase the risk of developing this progressive movement disorder, new research published in JAMA Neurology indicates that loneliness could also play a pivotal role.
This is the first time an emotional state has been established as a potential risk factor for the neurodegenerative disease, according to the study authors.
A Glimpse Into the 15-Year Study
To see if loneliness is linked to Parkinson’s risk, researchers at Florida State University conducted a large cohort study. They analyzed data on nearly 500,000 participants aged 38 to 73 years from the UK Biobank biomedical database and research resource, which houses extensive genetic and health data from over half a million UK residents.
The researchers tracked health surveys and status over 15 years. In that time, over 2,800 people developed Parkinson’s disease.
Participants self-reported loneliness by answering: “Do you often feel lonely?”
Social isolation was measured by the frequency of friend or family visits, frequency of leisure or social activities, and household size.
Researchers controlled for various factors known to influence risk, including demographics, diabetes, genes, socioeconomic status, social isolation, smoking, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI).
Results showed loneliness was significantly associated with later Parkinson’s diagnosis. This held true across age, genetic risk, and sex. However, accounting for chronic conditions like diabetes reduced the association by 13.1 percent.
In sensitivity analysis excluding participants under 50, the relationship persisted. Loneliness did not link to Parkinson’s in the first five years after baseline but became associated over the subsequent 10 years.
An estimated half a million Americans have Parkinson’s disease. But the actual number is probably much higher, as the condition is difficult to diagnose early.
Previous research has already linked loneliness to cognitive decline, dementia, Alzheimer’s risk, and some serious physical health issues, including hypertension and obesity.
Loneliness may increase Parkinson’s risk through inflammatory and metabolic pathways, the new study’s authors suggest.
Stress-induced inflammation could damage brain neurons that produce dopamine, essential for normal motor control. Over time, this may contribute to Parkinson’s development.
Another explanation is social interaction’s effect on the brain. Socializing stimulates the brain and promotes neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and reorganize connections in response to learning or an experience. Interacting releases chemicals that grow new neurons, potentially protecting against neurodegeneration like Parkinson’s.
Loneliness and social isolation may also lead to a sedentary lifestyle, another risk factor for Parkinson’s disease.
“Loneliness has been correlated similarly to smoking and obesity,” Dr. Zehra Ali, who specializes in geriatric psychiatry at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital in New York and who wasn’t associated with the study, told The Epoch Times.
“It increases the risk of depression, alcohol dependence, and dementia,” he added. “It can negatively impact physical health as it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, and stroke.”
The Loneliness Epidemic
In May, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory on the “epidemic of loneliness and isolation” affecting the country. “Given the significant health consequences of loneliness and isolation, we must prioritize building social connection the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders,” he said in a press statement.
