Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, 3122, Australia.
Department of Mental Health Services, St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2024 Jun 20;14(1):14221. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-65039-8.
Loneliness is recognised as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease development. However, it is unclear whether loneliness itself or other closely related mental health symptoms, such as depression and social anxiety, are associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. In the present study, we examined the relationship between loneliness and several early cardiovascular disease markers in young adults, after controlling for depression and social anxiety. Sixty-six young adults (18-35 years old, M = 22.70; 75.8% females) completed psychological questionnaires and took part in several physiological tests assessing cardiovascular health (e.g., vascular function). Results revealed higher loneliness was significantly associated with shorter pulse transit time (β = - 0.70, p = 0.002; shorter pulse transit time is a subclinical marker for arterial stiffness). Additionally, results show that while loneliness and depression were both related to vascular dysfunction in young adults, the underlining physiological mechanisms through which they affect vascular function may be different. Specifically, higher loneliness was associated with increased arterial stiffness, whereas depression was associated with increased endothelial dysfunction (β = - 0.43, p = 0.04). Our findings indicate that presence of loneliness and depression in young adults may be accompanied by early indicators of poor cardiovascular health, such as arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction. Results from the study further support the link between loneliness and cardiovascular disease development.
孤独感被认为是心血管疾病发展的一个风险因素。然而，目前尚不清楚孤独感本身还是其他密切相关的心理健康症状（如抑郁和社交焦虑）与心血管疾病的发展有关。在本研究中，我们在控制了抑郁和社交焦虑后，研究了孤独感与年轻成年人几种早期心血管疾病标志物之间的关系。66 名年轻成年人（18-35 岁，M=22.70；75.8%为女性）完成了心理问卷，并参加了几项评估心血管健康的生理测试（例如，血管功能）。结果表明，孤独感越高，脉搏传递时间越短（β=-0.70，p=0.002；脉搏传递时间越短是动脉僵硬的亚临床标志物）。此外，研究结果表明，虽然孤独感和抑郁都与年轻成年人的血管功能障碍有关，但它们影响血管功能的潜在生理机制可能不同。具体来说，孤独感与动脉僵硬的增加有关，而抑郁与内皮功能障碍的增加有关（β=-0.43，p=0.04）。我们的研究结果表明，孤独感和抑郁的存在可能伴随着年轻成年人心血管健康不良的早期指标，如动脉僵硬和内皮功能障碍。该研究的结果进一步支持了孤独感与心血管疾病发展之间的联系。
