Loneliness has reached alarming levels among American adults, with nearly half admitting to experiencing it.

The severity of this condition varies across age groups, but when it’s persistent, it’s a precursor to a host of serious health issues…

These include obesity, physical inactivity, a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.

The longer a person is lonely, the more likely they are to experience some of these effects.

Now, investigators believe there’s another ailment to add to that long list….

NAFLD, loneliness and social isolation

Loneliness and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) share a common thread. Both are increasingly prevalent, and researchers are beginning to uncover a potential link between the two.

NAFLD is a chronic liver disease that affects roughly 30 percent of the global population, driven by rising rates of obesity, diabetes and aging.

An international team of researchers analyzed data from over 400,000 participants in the UK Biobank to determine whether there is a link between loneliness and social isolation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

They characterized loneliness as “a distressing emotion arising from a discrepancy between desired and actual levels of social interaction” and social isolation as “having infrequent social connections.”

When reviewing detailed assessments of participants’ social connections and emotional well-being, they found loneliness increased the risk of developing NAFLD by 22 percent. In comparison, social isolation raised the risk by 13 percent. This was independent of traditional risk factors like obesity, diabetes and lifestyle behaviors.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, depression and inflammatory responses partly explained these associations. Up to 30 percent of the observed risk linked to loneliness was due to lifestyle factors like obesity, smoking and irregular physical activity, while depression contributed an additional 33 percent.

“Our findings provide robust evidence that loneliness and social isolation are not just mental health issues but also critical factors in the development of metabolic diseases like NAFLD,” says Jiaqi Huang, a professor at Central South University in China. “Interventions that target these social determinants, alongside promoting healthier lifestyles, could be transformative for public health.”

Step up social connections and reduce NAFLD risks

In the meantime, if you feel lonely or socially isolated on a persistent basis, it might be a good idea to take some steps to engage with others regularly. Here are some suggestions for how to do that:

• Meet with friends and/or family in person at least once a week. Face-to-face contact is vitally important to staving off loneliness and isolation.
• Seek out community service activities that help people while fostering contact with others.
• Try a new hobby. Look for groups at your local library, YMCA or church that match your interests.
• Start or join a book group. If you love to read, this is a good way to meet other people and share your perspectives.

And don’t forget to lessen other risk factors for NAFLD. Exercise is one of the best ways. But if physical reasons prohibit that, NAFLD is largely influenced by diet.

Diet patterns that could reduce NAFLD risk include the Mediterranean, DASH, and plant-based diets. Be sure to get plenty of resistance starches, which have been shown to lower liver fat by 40%.

Sources:

Loneliness and social isolation linked to increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, study finds — EurekAlert!

Loneliness and Social Isolation with Risk of Incident Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, UK Biobank 2006 to 2022 — Health Data Science

Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation — Department of Health and Human Services

What is Causing Our Epidemic of Loneliness and How Can We Fix It? — Harvard Graduate School of Education