Feeling lonely may increase risk of developing Parkinson’s disease

The feeling of loneliness can lead to many negative health consequences, and a new study has found that it may also increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

The study, which involved over 490,000 people included in the UK Biobank and followed for up to 15 years, found that feeling lonely could increase the likelihood of being diagnosed with developing Parkinson’s disease by 37%.

However, it should be noted that the study cannot prove that loneliness causes Parkinson’s disease, but there appears to be a relationship between the two.

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“This study adds to the body of evidence on poor outcomes associated with loneliness, especially neurodegenerative diseases,” said lead researcher Angelina Sutin, a professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine at Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee.

Loneliness has previously been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, and the current research suggests it is also a risk factor for developing Parkinson’s disease.

Loneliness has been identified as a major public health concern by health professionals and the World Health Organization.

The study author added that multiple factors may be linked to why feeling lonely may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

While the researchers found that behavioral and clinical pathways accounted for a small part of the association, there could also be metabolic, inflammatory, neurological, and endocrine pathways.

Sutin suggests that loneliness could be associated with poorer overall brain health, potentially through increased inflammation or other neurodegenerative processes.

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Interestingly, social contact may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. The author states that the study did not test this association, but social contact is thought to be protective, and more research is needed to address this issue.

The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology and suggest that loneliness could potentially lead to the development of Parkinson’s disease.

While more research is needed to fully understand this relationship, it highlights the importance of addressing loneliness and promoting social connection for our overall health and well-being.