Loneliness also negatively affects bone health

he social isolation It can negatively affect bone healthin addition to causing other health conditions already known as Mental illness and higher overall rates of morbidity and death. A study in rats at ENDO 2023, the annual meeting of the North American Endocrine Society, confirmed this finding.

Social isolation is an effective form of depression Psychological stress It is a growing public health concern, in particular among the elderlyexplains lead researcher Rebecca Mountain, of the Main Health Research Institute in Scarborough (USA).

Many researchers have expressed concern about growth Loneliness epidemic that live in the community, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previous clinical research has shown that psychosocial stressors, and subsequent mental health disorders, are important risk factors for Osteoporosis and broke, which disproportionately affects the elderly. However, the effects of social isolation on bone have not been fully investigated,” Mountain adds.

In this investigation, they subjected adult mice to social isolation, separating them with one mouse per cage, and others into a group of four mice per cage, and both groups spent four weeks in these conditions. The main finding of the trial was that social isolation caused a significant decrease in bone quality, including A Bone mineral density decreased, in male rats, but not in females.

“Overall, our data indicate that social isolation has a severely negative effect on the bones of male rats, but it may act through different mechanisms or in a different time frame in females. Future research is needed to understand how these findings translate to humans,” Mountain says.

“Our work provides insight into the effects of isolation on bone and has major clinical implications as we combat the long-term health effects of increased social isolation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mountain said.