EON

Boston (EON) – Research from the United States has shown that loneliness can actually affect your genes and cause serious health complications.

Research looked at DNA of about 22,000 people and found that those who stated they were chronically lonely had weaker immune systems. The results were published in the journal Genome.

Scientists are curious as to whether or not the high death rate for lonely peeople is due to a lower level of sociability in their worlds.

The isolation it is believed may actually alter the body and keep it from functioning properly

The leading researcher of the study Steve Cole stated that “This study shows that the biological impact of social isolation reaches down into some of our most basic internal processed – the activity of our genes.”

Treatments could now be developed to help counteract genetic risks from loneliness.