Loneliness Linked to High Blood Pressure

Loneliness Linked to High Blood Pressure
By Psych Central News Editor Reviewed by John M. Groho l, Psy .D. on March 19, 2010

Loneliness shares a close association with high blood pressure according to new research.
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that feeling lonely increases the blood pressure rate of individuals 50 years and older. The scientists examined the possibility that loneliness could bring on feelings of depression and stress, both of which are known to increase blood pressure levels.
The study examined 229 people between the ages of 50 and 68 and found that there was a connection between their blood pressure levels and need for companionship. While researchers were able to make a direct connection between the two, it still took a number of years before the correlation was noticed.
“The increase associated with loneliness wasn’t observable until two years into the study, but then continued to increase until four years later,” researcher Louise Hawley said.
This link is independent of age as well as other factors which cause blood pressure such as smoking, demographic difference like income and race, alcohol and body mass index (BMI).
Dr. Hawley concluded that individuals’ fears of not having social connections could play into their increased blood pressure levels.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of people yet who have done loneliness interventions to any great success. So even if we know that we should be doing something about it, to find somebody who’s effective at helping may be a challenge,” Dr. Hawley says.
Researchers suspect that evolution may explain the link between loneliness and high blood pressure.
“Loneliness reflects a very fundamental need to feel connected,” Dr. Hawkley says.
“In evolutionary terms, you had to have the sense that you had your back covered. You traveled in groups, in tribes, in families. Anything to fend off threats from the environment… And that, I think, persists. We still need to feel like we belong, like we’re connected.”
Nutritional supplements such as potassium may help lower blood pressure.
The study appears in the March issue of the journal Psychology and Aging.
Source: University of Chicago

Reference:
John, M. (2010, March 19). Loneliness Linked to high blood pressure. Psych Central News Editor，Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/03/19/loneliness-linked-to-high-blood-pressure/12275.html.

Summary:
Loneliness can make people feel depression and stress, both of which could lead to the blood pressure increasing. Accord to survey 229 people that the ages of them are from 50 to 68, researchers at the University of Chicago found that there was a connection between blood pressure levels and need for relationship. But this phenomenon cannot be observed until 2 years, the blood pressure increasing will appear after four years later. So we need keep us contact with the others. However, some people don’t pay attention to it.

Reaction:
Everybody knows smoking, drinking a lot and some physical reasons could lead to bloody pressure increasing. But they cannot recognize that loneliness also can increase the bloody pressure. Because we maybe feel sad, boring, nothing is interesting or don’t want to do anything when we feel loneliness. If you always have the kind of negative feeling, you could feel so heavy stress that your blood pressure would be increased. I consider that human cannot living without relationship, we should always communicate with the other people, get some information from people, or share happy or sorrow with your friends. People can relieve their stress through the connection, which is benefit for our healthy, no matter the mental or physical.

Vocabulary:
Individuals – personal
Companionship – friendship
Correlation – relationship
Demographic – statistics of population
Alcohol –an element in drinking
Fundamental – basic
Fend off – resist
Persists – never give up