by Jennifer Cox Longevity inflammation in the body, which basically compromises almost every bodily system, including the brain (New York Times). Absent social interactions mean that blood flow to vital organs will be reduced. Even genes can be adversely affected, impairing the body’s ability to turn off inflammation – and chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes and even suicide attempts. Not only does a lack of socializing impact our physical health, there are obvious mental ramifications, too. The emotional support provided by social connections helps to reduce the damaging effects of stress and can foster a sense of meaning and purpose in life (New York Times). This, in turn, reduces our risks for major life-threatening conditions such as stroke, heart disease and more. The opposite is also true – when we have strong social ties to friends and family, we take on healthier habits in general, Harvard researchers say. People with solid social connections tend to have better health behaviours, such as eating nutritious foods and being physically active. To sumup, socialization is very important. However, socializing during social distancing can be tricky. So, make sure that you connect with those around you as much as possible and as safely as possible… stay in touch with friends and family by phone, video chat, e-mail, text, etc. Use platforms like FaceTime and Zoom to conduct group video chats. Catch up on written correspondence (everyone loves to receive funmail, especially now). Reach out to your local church, town hall or a charitable organization to see if there’s anything that you can do to help from home. Make a real, concerted effort to maintain your social ties which, in turn, will help you live a longer, happier life. Nowmore than ever, people who are social distancing are feeling the effects of their isolation. Whether you were a social butterfly with a full calendar, or someone who loved getting together with a small group of friends, we are all missing the socialization parts of our daily lives. And this can have a major impact on our long-termwell-being. So, how does interacting with people affect our longevity? Research has been done for decades on the link between a lack of social interaction and health problems that could later lead to more serious, chronic and life-threatening conditions. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, several studies have shown that people who have strong social connections may live longer, and even healthier lives. This is especially true of the unusually long-living population on the island of Sardinia, Italy, where there are strong ties to family and friends, along with frequent physical activity. Here, people have some of the highest life expectancies in the world. CNN cited 148 studies which found that people who are isolated face a 50% greater risk of premature death than those who have stronger social connections. Lisa Berkman, director of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, and Thomas D. Cabot, Professor of Public Policy and of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined other research which has suggested that social isolation carries a risk of mortality that’s similar to that of other major risk factors, such as smoking. Berkman said that the stress of isolation can weaken people’s immune systems, making themmore susceptible to infectious diseases. Not only that, but a lack of social contacts can lead to elevated levels of stress and Longevity and socializing while social distancing CSANews | SUMMER 2020 | 47
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