Researchers Reveal the Adverse Effect of Social Isolation on Women

Everyone knows that loneliness and social isolation both have an adverse effect on an older adult's mental and physical health.

Now, the University of British Columbia researchers are discovering that social isolation impacts both men and women's health in different ways, which include placing women at greater risk of blood pressure.

In research the Journal of Hypertension recently published, study authors found out that middle-aged and older women who lacked social connections were much more likely compared to men to develop hypertension, a common risk factor for heart disease, which is the main cause of death among women, not to mention, stroke.

According to Annalijn Conklin, the principal investigator and UBC assistant professor in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences at UBC, among the elderly, "Social isolation is the largest known risk factor for mortality," equivalent only to smoking.

Conklin, also a researcher with the Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, added, is not that much known is the manner social isolation is affecting men and women in a different way or the manner it is affecting longevity's biomarkers.

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Social Isolation in Middle and Older-Aged Women

Conklin explained that their research specifies that women are more likely to have high blood pressure when they are isolated in their middle and older age.

Utilizing data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, the study authors evaluated the social ties of more than 28,000 adults with ages ranging from 45 to 85 years.

They also found that women who were classified as non-partnered, involved less than three social activities each month, or has a small, about less than 85 contacts, the social network had greater chances of developing hypertension.

Average systolic blood pressure was found to be highest among "widowed, lone-living and socially inactive women," and the biggest difference in blood pressure was between widowed and married women.

Study findings also showed widowed women had the biggest possibility of developing hypertension across all categories.

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Hypertension and Social Ties

Reports on the study indicate that among the male participants, "The picture was quite different." Those without a partner or classified as a single shared a home with others and had the highest social networks recorded to have the highest blood pressure.

Meanwhile, those who had smaller social ties and lived by themselves, or on their own, were found to have low blood pressure.

The study investigators also found that the combination of different social connections mattered. In addition, regular social participation seemed to have a shielding effect among non-partnered women, suggesting that health care providers may desire to monitor the number of social activities each month and have these included alongside a healthy diet and workout when treating older women who are non-partnered.

Conklin said, among women, the rise in blood pressure that was linked to the lack of social ties was the same as that seen with those who have "non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use, increased sodium diets pollution or weight gain."

This, the assistant professor added, signifies a substantial "woman-specific risk factor" for stroke or heart disease.

Previous Study Findings

A previous study by Conklin utilizing a similar data set showed that single, widowed, divorced, or separated women had higher chances of abdominal and general obesity. Men, on the other hand, were less likely to be obese if they had smaller social ties and lived alone.

The expert added, taken with their past research, their new results highlight how social isolation is impacting health in men and women differently.

"At a time when COVID-19 is forcing us to limit our social interactions," explained Conklin, it is essential for people working in health care and public health to boost and inspire older women, specifically, to discover new ways to be socially active.

Lead author of the study, Zeinab Hosseini said, there is a need for more studies on how exactly social ties affect cardiovascular risk factors.

Specifically, she said, "Prospective and intervention research" can help researchers understand this and why the connections are different for women compared to men.

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