PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Loneliness, like chronic stress, taxes the immune system

2013-01-20
(Press-News.org) COLUMBUS, Ohio – New research links loneliness to a number of dysfunctional immune responses, suggesting that being lonely has the potential to harm overall health.

Researchers found that people who were more lonely showed signs of elevated latent herpes virus reactivation and produced more inflammation-related proteins in response to acute stress than did people who felt more socially connected.

These proteins signal the presence of inflammation, and chronic inflammation is linked to numerous conditions, including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, as well as the frailty and functional decline that can accompany aging.

Reactivation of a latent herpes virus is known to be associated with stress, suggesting that loneliness functions as a chronic stressor that triggers a poorly controlled immune response.

"It is clear from previous research that poor-quality relationships are linked to a number of health problems, including premature mortality and all sorts of other very serious health conditions. And people who are lonely clearly feel like they are in poor-quality relationships," said Lisa Jaremka, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University and lead author of the research.

"One reason this type of research is important is to understand how loneliness and relationships broadly affect health. The more we understand about the process, the more potential there is to counter those negative effects – to perhaps intervene. If we don't know the physiological processes, what are we going to do to change them?"

The results are based on a series of studies conducted with two populations: a healthy group of overweight middle-aged adults and a group of breast cancer survivors. The researchers measured loneliness in all studies using the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a questionnaire that assesses perceptions of social isolation and loneliness.

Jaremka will present the research Saturday (1/19) at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology annual meeting in New Orleans.

The researchers first sought to obtain a snapshot of immune system behavior related to loneliness by gauging levels of antibodies in the blood that are produced when herpes viruses are reactivated.

Participants were 200 breast cancer survivors who were between two months and three years past completion of cancer treatment with an average age of 51 years. Their blood was analyzed for the presence of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus.

Both are herpes viruses that infect a majority of Americans. About half of infections do not produce illness, but once a person is infected, the viruses remain dormant in the body and can be reactivated, resulting in elevated antibody levels, or titers – again, often producing no symptoms but hinting at regulatory problems in the cellular immune system.

Lonelier participants had higher levels of antibodies against cytomegalovirus than did less lonely participants, and those higher antibody levels were related to more pain, depression and fatigue symptoms. No difference was seen in Epstein-Barr virus antibody levels, possibly because this reactivation is linked to age and many of these participants were somewhat older, meaning reactivation related to loneliness would be difficult to detect, Jaremka said.

Previous research has suggested that stress can promote reactivation of these viruses, also resulting in elevated antibody titers.

"The same processes involved in stress and reactivation of these viruses is probably also relevant to the loneliness findings," Jaremka said. "Loneliness has been thought of in many ways as a chronic stressor – a socially painful situation that can last for quite a long time."

In an additional set of studies, the scientists sought to determine how loneliness affected the production of proinflammatory proteins, or cytokines, in response to stress. These studies were conducted with 144 women from the same group of breast cancer survivors and a group of 134 overweight middle-aged and older adults with no major health problems.

Baseline blood samples were taken from all participants, who were then subjected to stress – they were asked to deliver an impromptu five-minute speech and perform a mental arithmetic task in front of a video camera and three panelists. Researchers followed by stimulating the participants' immune systems with lipopolysaccharide, a compound found on bacterial cell walls that is known to trigger an immune response.

In both populations, those who were lonelier produced significantly higher levels of a cytokine called interleukin-6, or IL-6, in response to acute stress than did participants who were more socially connected. Levels of another cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, also rose more dramatically in lonelier participants than in less lonely participants, but the findings were significant by statistical standards in only one study group, the healthy adults.

In the study with breast cancer survivors, researchers also tested for levels of the cytokine interleukin 1-beta, which was produced at higher levels in lonelier participants.

When the scientists controlled for a number of factors, including sleep quality, age and general health measures, the results were the same.

"We saw consistency in the sense that more lonely people in both studies had more inflammation than less lonely people," Jaremka said.

"It's also important to remember the flip side, which is that people who feel very socially connected are experiencing more positive outcomes," she said.

### This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship and a Pelotonia Postdoctoral Fellowship from Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Co-authors include Christopher Fagundes of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research (IBMR); Juan Peng of the College of Public Health; Jeanette Bennett of the Division of Oral Biology; Ronald Glaser of the Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics; William Malarkey of the Department of Internal Medicine; and Janice Kiecolt-Glaser of the Department of Psychiatry, all at Ohio State. Bennett, Glaser, Malarkey and Kiecolt-Glaser are also IBMR investigators.

Contact: Lisa Jaremka

Written by Emily Caldwell, 614-292-8310; Caldwell.151@osu.edu

Editor's note: Jaremka's talk, "Loneliness and Immune Dysregulation: A Psychoneuroimmunological Approach," is part of Symposium S-G4, "Biological Underpinnings of Social Interaction: Interdisciplinary Approaches," 2-3:15 p.m. (CT) Saturday, Jan. 19, Room 206-207, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans.

Jaremka will be attending the SPSP meeting from Jan. 16-19. She can be reached via email during the meeting or by calling Emily Caldwell (cell: 614-893-4261). END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

From bullying to relationships: Mapping our online communications

2013-01-20
January 19, 2013 – New Orleans – When we typically think of kids who are the victims of school bullying, what comes to mind are isolated youth who do not fit in. A new study, however, shows that when that harassment occurs online, the victims tend to be in mainstream social groups at the school – and they are often friends or former friends, not strangers. The research is part of a burgeoning field of study into the effects of social media on everyday relationships and behavior. Personality and social psychologists are finding surprising ways in which people's online ...

Wind in the willows boosts biofuel production

Wind in the willows boosts biofuel production
2013-01-20
Willow trees cultivated for 'green energy' can yield up to five times more biofuel if they grow diagonally, compared with those that are allowed to grow naturally up towards the sky. This effect had been observed in the wild and in plantations around the UK, but scientists were previously unable to explain why some willows produced more biofuel than others. Now British researchers have identified a genetic trait that causes this effect and is activated in some trees when they sense they are at an angle, such as where they are blown sideways in windy conditions. The ...

Apex Global Solutions Now Provides Web Hosting Services

2013-01-20
Apex Global Solutions has announced its venture in providing Web Hosting Services to a clientele array involved in diverse fields of business. Apex Global Solutions, which caters to multiple business needs of clients ranging from Website Development, Graphics Development, Search Engine Optimization, Content Management and E-Commerce Development solutions, is now bringing its expertise in the Web Hosting arena. Apex Global Solutions would cater the needs of hosting and suggesting the best packages, services and features which exactly work in advantage with all forms of ...

Waste Industries Awards Educational Scholarship

2013-01-20
Today Waste Industries USA, Inc. (WI) announces the recipient of the Waste Industries' Partnership for Education Scholarship, an annual grant awarded to graduating high school seniors of the Snow Hill Missionary Baptist Church (SHMBC) congregation in Roseboro. The Waste Industries' Partnership for Education Scholarship was established in 2010 and awards up to $2,000/year in scholarship money for SHMBC high school seniors meeting established criteria. For example, qualified applicants must have a 2.5 GPA upon graduating to apply and the scholarship is intended for education ...

White-Themed Housewares Emporium Whiteport Launches Custom Shopping Service

2013-01-20
Sydney-based homewares retailer Whiteport has announced it will provide a new product sourcing service to its ever-expanding customer base. Whiteport currently offers a unique range of chic, elegant home accessories in every conceivable shade of white. Recently, though, customer requests at the popular destination for all things white have prompted an expanded view of how the company can enhance its busy customers' shopping experience. Whiteport founder Jennifer McCabe explains: "We're always getting requests from customers for an item in a different colour, ...

Fitness Model and Health Specialist Designs Unique Protein Bar for Post-Workout Consumption

2013-01-20
For those looking to lose weight or get fit in 2013, Aisha Price and Optimal Nutrition Care have designed the Optimal Recovery Bar, a tasty and nutritional protein bar made for eating after a workout. A protein bar may not seem like a revolutionary product, however, Aisha Price and Optimal Nutrition Care have created a one-of-a-kind nutritional snack that can help people meet their New Year's resolutions. As many enter into 2013 looking to get into shape, lose excess pounds, or get back into a workout routine, health and fitness expert Aisha Price, known also as a fitness ...

Winners Revealed in Superwomen Boot Camp's "Battle of the Holiday Bulge Fitness" Challenge

2013-01-20
Folsom fitness expert and owner of Superwomen Boot Camp, Val Fujii is proud to announce the winners of the Battle of the Holiday Bulge Challenge today. The challenge was a voluntary fitness competition, with great results, for participants' health and wallets. Challengers took "before" pictures and had a weigh in and body fat calculation in the beginning. Each week there was a weigh in and body fat calculation. In addition to the support of other boot campers, challengers received the Belly Blast program (valued at $77) for free. It included: Checklist for ...

Creations By Jerilyn to Participate in 2013 Oscar Academy Awards Luxury Gift Lounge

2013-01-20
We're pleased to announce Creations By Jerilyn in association with The Artisan Group, will participate in a luxury celebrity gift lounge hosted by GBK Productions on February 22-23, 2013 at an exclusive location in Beverly Hills, California, in honor of the The 2013 Academy Awards Nominees and Presenters. Our Tree of Life Pendants will be gifted to select members of the press and media at The Artisan Group's exhibit. This event will be attended by nearly fifty media outlets. To learn more about Creations By Jerilyn and our handcrafted products, or our participation ...

The Glamorous Lie Screens at Slamdance!

2013-01-20
The documentary film THE GLAMOROUS LIE (produced by 21 Yellow Tulips) has faced a tumultuous road since it started making the rounds of film festivals last fall. The feature documentary, which chronicles the life of YaVaughnie Wilkins and her eight and a half year relationship with Infor CEO, former Oracle executive and Obama economic advisor Charles E. Phillips, Jr. was buffeted by Phillips' lawyers efforts to quash festival screenings of the film. Now, following a brand-new cut, Slamdance has selected THE GLAMOROUS LIE to screen out of competition at the 19th Annual Slamdance ...

Doble R Featuring Ricky Rick Releases Newest Latin Single, "ElektroKumbia"

2013-01-20
Doble R, featuring ex-Kumbia-All-Starz vocalist Ricky Rick, has released their newest track of fusion cumbia, "ElektroKumbia." The track is roughly three and a half minutes long and features the same personalized electronic cumbia fusion music that fans throughout Latin America have come to love and expect from Doble R and Ricky Rick. Ricky Rick and Doble R's particular flavor of music is a multicolored mix of electronic merengue, electronic cumbia, traditional reggae, Jamaican dancehall, and the occasional romantic ballad. "ElektroKumbia" is an energetic, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

A KAIST-Seoul National University Hospital research team develops a computational workflow that predicts metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with somatic mutations in cancers

Bendable energy storage materials by cool science

Inorganic nitrate can help protect patients against kidney damage caused during coronary angiographic procedures

Active social lives help dementia patients, caregivers thrive

New technique measures psilocybin potency of mushrooms

UC Irvine-led research team discovers role of key enzymes that drive cancer mutations

All creatures great and small: Sequencing the blue whale and Etruscan shrew genomes

Sustainable solution for wastewater polluted by dyes used in many industries

Food companies’ sponsorship of children’s sports encourages children to buy their products, Canadian research suggests

USC receives $3.95 million CIRM grant for organoid resource center

New research finds boreal arctic wetlands are producing more methane over time

TLI Investigator Dr. Wei Yan named Editor-in-Chief of the Andrology Journal

New study reveals insights into COVID-19 antibody response durability

Climate change alters the hidden microbial food web in peatlands

Text nudges can increase uptake of COVID-19 boosters– if they play up a sense of ownership of the vaccine

A new study shows how neurochemicals affect fMRI readings

Digital reminders for flu vaccination improves turnout, but not clinical outcomes in older adults

Avatar will not lie... or will it? Scientists investigate how often we change our minds in virtual environments

8-hour time-restricted eating linked to a 91% higher risk of cardiovascular death

Alternative tidal wetlands in plain sight overlooked Blue Carbon superstars

The majority of Americans do not support anti-democratic behavior, even when elected officials do

Genes identified that allow bacteria to thrive despite toxic heavy metal in soil

Scientists’ discovery could reduce dependence on animals for vital anti-blood clot drug

Artificial streams reveal how drought shapes California’s alpine ecosystems

Not in my backyard? Wind turbines have little effect on US property values

The costs of a changing landscape

UMD researchers develop genomic method of monitoring for pesticide resistance

Backyard insect inspires invisibility devices, next gen tech

Americans support democratic norms, elected officials don't

Harnessing hydrogen at life’s origin

[Press-News.org] Loneliness, like chronic stress, taxes the immune system