CAUSES OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND PREMATURE DEATH

High blood pressure is often recognized as a lifestyle disease, caused by poor diet, lack of exercises and chronic stress.

But did you know that it can also be caused by a very common type of social interaction – especially among people over 50?

This factor can actually increase your chances of premature death by a whopping 14 percent. It means that it is twice as likely to cause premature death as obesity!

The good news: it’s VERY easy to correct!

The researchers looked at the social habits of more than 2,000 people older than 50 years. They found that those who reported to be the loneliest, were more than twice as likely to die during the 6 year long study period time, compared to those who had strong social ties with other people.

Researchers point out that loneliness has a dramatic impact on one’s health. Feeling alone and isolated from others disrupts sleep, raises blood pressure, drastically increases the levels of stress hormone cortisol and even causes depression.

Previous studies linked loneliness to a whole range of health issues such as increased risk of heart attack, stroke and type 2 diabetes to even weakened immune system.

A 2012 study on older Britons revealed that more than a fifth of the participants felt lonely all the time. A quarter of the study participants became lonelier over the past five years. Half the participants expressed that their loneliness was worse at weekends and during the night time.

Some health experts compare the feeling of loneliness to severe physical pain and suffering.

The recent trend in senior community is to get ‘a fresh new start’ by moving out of familiar neighborhoods where they’ve lived for many years to ‘fresher, sunnier pastures’ to enjoy their retirement.

However, experts advice elderly people to think twice before making such a drastic change. Moving to a warmer place like Florida or any other exotic location does not guarantee happier and more fulfilling lives.

Researchers noticed that those elders who continue to interact with their old friends, coworkers and families are less likely to be lonely or suffer poor health.

No wonder that people who have the highest life expectancy in the world share one common trend – they all have extremely strong social ties and live in close-knit communities.

It is important to note that being alone and feeling lonely does not always go hand in hand. There are many happy and healthy individuals who enjoy the solitude. And there are many people who are surrounded by people and still feel lonely and isolated.

If you feel that loneliness is getting to you and affecting your life, there are many ways to fight it.

Try to get out more, engage in different social activities like community service, choir or join a dance group. Even participating in posting and replying to comments on articles like this one will help you open up for social interactions!