Loneliness: An Immunometabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Loneliness has been defined as an agonizing encounter, experienced when the need for human intimacy is not met adequately, or when a person’s social network does not match their preference, either in number or attributes. This definition helps us realize that the cause of loneliness is not merely being alone, but rather not being in the company we desire. With loneliness being introduced as a measurable, distinct psychological experience, it has been found to be associated with poor health behaviors, heightened stress response, and inadequate physiological repairing activity. With these three major pathways of pathogenesis, loneliness can do much harm; as it impacts both immune and metabolic regulation, altering the levels of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, acute-phase reactants, chemokines, immunoglobulins, antibody response against viruses and vaccines, and immune cell activity; and affecting stress circuitry, glycemic control, lipid metabolism, body composition, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular function, cognitive function and mental health, respectively. Taken together, there are too many immunologic and metabolic manifestations associated with the construct of loneliness, and with previous literature showcasing loneliness as a distinct psychological experience and a health determinant, we propose that loneliness, in and of itself, is not just a psychosocial phenomenon. It is also an all-encompassing complex of systemic alterations that occur with it, expanding it into a syndrome of events, linked through a shared network of immunometabolic pathology. This review aims to portray a detailed picture of loneliness as an “immunometabolic syndrome”, with its multifaceted pathology.

The physical and mental health consequences of social isolation and loneliness in the context of COVID-19

“…However, in all three studies the associations are fully explained or mediated by behavioral lifestyle factors. Social isolation and loneliness are also associated with immune system and endocrine issues [18 ▪ ,28 ▪ ]. Further social isolation and loneliness are related to a range of poor mental health outcomes, most commonly depression and anxiety.…”

“…Recently, Pourriyahi and colleagues [28 ▪ ] proposed that loneliness is an immunometabolism syndrome. Evidence has demonstrated that loneliness is associated with poor health behaviors, a heightened stress response and a reduction in the body's ability for physiological restoration [28 ▪ ].…”

“…Recently, Pourriyahi and colleagues [28 ▪ ] proposed that loneliness is an immunometabolism syndrome. Evidence has demonstrated that loneliness is associated with poor health behaviors, a heightened stress response and a reduction in the body's ability for physiological restoration [28 ▪ ]. Thus, through these three factors Pourriyahi and colleagues [28 ▪ ] proposed that loneliness has an immunometabolic impact upon the individual, for example, impacts upon immune and metabolic regulation, levels of inflammatory markers, the stress system, and immune cell activity to name a few.…”

Psychic Life-Biological Molecule Bidirectional Relationship: Pathways, Mechanisms, and Consequences for Medical and Psychological Sciences—A Narrative Review

“…The same systematic review documented a relationship between loneliness and increased risk for the onset of dementia, as well as an increase in biological markers (amyloid and tau burden) associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, loneliness is related to various metabolic alterations, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and other cardiovascular risk markers [ 114 ].…”

Imunossupressão Causada Pelo Estresse Emocional: Da Etiologia À Patogenia

“…These variances not only depend on how the personality characteristics of habits were constructed, but also on the state in which the individual was in the initial stage of measurement and data collection. In addition, Pourriyahi et al (2021) report in their research a series of neuroimmunoendocrine changes in the different ways in which we socialize andmainly -we do not socialize, which are managed in a way by the psychosocial environment around the individual and activate triggers that behave as stressors. Ponomarev et al (2021), in turn, in their research, observe the immune system in controlled environments and report the difficulty of accuracy in the data due to the colossal variance of the results, as these are a consequence of the relationship between the neurological, endocrine and immune systems.…”