Loneliness, social isolation associated with increased glaucoma risk
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Key takeaways:
- Both loneliness and social isolation were associated with a higher risk for glaucoma.
- Participants who were socially isolated or lonely were more likely to be men and socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Loneliness and social isolation were associated with an increased risk for glaucoma, highlighting the importance of positive mental and social interventions, according to a study published in BMC Public Health.
“It is reported that loneliness and social isolation may impact health through biological changes such as increased cortisol secretion and elevated levels of inflammation,” Xinyu Zhu, from the department of ophthalmology at Shanghai Jaio Tong University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “These changes may lead to elevated intraocular pressure and accelerated death of retinal ganglion cells, thereby promoting the onset of glaucoma.”
Seeking to examine the relationship between loneliness and isolation and risk for glaucoma, Zhu and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study of 373,330 adult participants (mean age, 56.2 years; 52.8% women) without glaucoma from the UK Biobank.
A questionnaire administered at recruitment revealed 13.9% of participants self-reported as socially isolated and 4.5% were lonely. The researchers noted that participants who were socially isolated or lonely were more likely to be men and socioeconomically disadvantaged.
During a median follow-up of 13.1 years, the researchers reported 6,489 cases of glaucoma, with higher cumulative incidences among participants who were lonely or socially isolated.
After adjusting for age and sex, Zhu and colleagues also found that participants who were lonely had a higher risk for glaucoma (HR = 1.2; P = .002), as did those who were socially isolated (HR = 1.11), compared with those without social isolation and loneliness.
“Our finding underscores the necessity of positive mental and social network intervention for individuals at high risk of glaucoma,” the researchers wrote. “Further research is needed to clarify the effects of loneliness and social isolation on specific subtypes of glaucoma.”
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