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Loneliness drives up blood pressure

When people feel alone, affects the long-term effect on their blood pressure. Scientists see solitude as an independent risk factor for high blood pressure.

Researchers at the University of Chicago for the first time have a direct connection between loneliness and hypertension found that: Independent of other risk factors such as age, obesity or smoking, loneliness gradually drives up the blood pressure per se. The scientists were able to dispel the suspicion that the depressive feelings associated with loneliness or stress, the root causes of high blood pressure are. “Loneliness shows itself as an independent risk factor for health,” says study author Louise Hawkley together the result.

The researchers examined four years 229 men and women. The participants of a superior long-term study on aging at baseline were aged 50-68 years. The degree of loneliness, the researchers with a detailed questionnaire. They measured the blood pressure at regular intervals. It was found that the initial values ??in the first two years is not significantly altered, but by the end of the observation period increased steadily. The highest increases in blood pressure increased in the loneliest study participants, but also those that were considered moderately lonely, after four years had higher blood pressure values. Read more