Jaremka, the lead author of the research, said in The New York Times that they “found higher levels of inflammation-inducing substances in the blood of lonely people. Chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, and even suicide attempts.” Jaremka compares loneliness to a chronic stressor; it can have the same negative impacts on the body as stress. Research has shown that stress can lead to reactivation of viruses that remain dormant in the body. For example, many Ameri- cans have been infected with the herpes virus, but only half of them become ill from it, accord- ing to Ohio State News. Feeling isolated and alone can also affect the quality of sleep. Writer Jessica Olien, on Slate.com, discusses a study by John T. Cacioppo in which he studied lonely and non-lonely people while they slept to measure their brain activity. “Those who were lonely were far more prone to micro awaken- ings,” she writes, “which suggest the brain is on alert for threats throughout the night, perhaps just as earlier humans would have needed to be when separated from their tribe.” Loneliness doesn’t just exacerbate existing con- ditions; it actually causes health problems. In a study published in Heart journal, researchers undertook a systematic review to find out whether loneliness and coronary heart disease and stroke were connected. “Poor social relationships were associated with a 29 percent increase in risk of coronary heart disease and a 32 percent increase in risk of stroke,” the researchers said. “Our findings suggest that deficiencies in social relationships are associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke.” According to Holt-Lunstad, loneliness is as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is worse than obesity, as reported on CampaigntoEndLoneliness.org. Because both smoking and being overweight can lead to premature death, Holt-Lunstad conducted a meta-analytic review of 70 studies representing more than 3.4 mil- lion people who were followed for an average of seven years. The study “revealed a significant effect of social isolation, loneliness, and living alone on odds of mortality,” she writes. “The increased likeli- hood of death was 26 percent for reported loneliness, 29 percent for social isolation, and 32 percent for living alone.” As a result of her study, Holt-Lunstad in Per- spectives on Psychological Science urges researchers not to assume that only older adults are at risk for loneliness and premature death. She found that “middle-age adults were at greater risk of mortal- ity when lonely or living alone than when older adults experienced those same circumstances.” Loneliness and Homelessness D oes loneliness lead to homelessness? Are homeless individuals more likely to be lonely? Crisis UK, a nonprofit that seeks to end homelessness, has asked these questions and done significant research on the topics. The group’s studies have shown that relationship breakdown is a leading cause of homelessness, and that being homeless distances people from social networks. Because of these issues, “isolation and loneliness does not often end after individuals have been rehoused,” write Ben Sanders and Bri- anna Brown on Crisis.org. “Previously homeless individuals continue to lack contact with family members, friends, and being a part of a larger community. This finding was linked to tenancy 14 WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2018 Natalee is a freelance writer and full-time mother of two. She also works part-time for the Association of Christian Schools International in Colorado Springs. You can reach her at divegirl777@msn.com.