Khaberni - A scientific study showed that feeling lonely increases the risk of degenerative heart valve diseases.
During the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 460,000 adult participants obtained from the UK Biobank, and monitored the health status of the participants for an average of 14 years to detect new cases of heart valve disease among them, and compared it to their psychiatric data during the study period.
The results showed that individuals who suffer from a significant feeling of loneliness were 19% more likely to suffer from these diseases compared to others, as the probability of suffering from aortic stenosis increased by 21%, and mitral valve regurgitation by 23%. Furthermore, researchers found that social isolation in itself (such as a lack of social relationships) was not associated with the disease, but rather the feeling of loneliness was the influential factor.
Scientists noted that this effect continued even after considering genetic factors and common risk factors, such as smoking, being overweight, and lack of physical activity. They also explained part of the relationship between loneliness and these diseases to be influenced by lifestyle, as individuals who suffer from loneliness are more likely to adopt unhealthy behaviors.
The researchers affirm that loneliness is not merely an emotional condition, but a factor that affects physical health. They believe that addressing this condition could contribute to slowing the progression of heart diseases and reducing the need for surgical interventions.
