Social isolation could negatively affect bone well being, suggests a examine performed in mice being introduced Sunday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s annual assembly in Chicago, Unwell.
Social isolation is a potent type of psychosocial stress and is a rising public well being concern, significantly amongst older adults. Even previous to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has considerably elevated the prevalence of isolation and loneliness, researchers have been involved a few rising ‘epidemic of loneliness.'”
Rebecca Mountain, Ph.D., Lead Researcher, MaineHealth Institute for Analysis in Scarborough, Maine
Mountain famous that social isolation is related to elevated danger for a lot of well being situations in individuals, together with psychological well being issues, in addition to larger general charges of sickness and demise.
“Earlier scientific analysis has demonstrated that psychosocial stressors, and subsequent psychological well being issues, are main danger components for osteoporosis and fracture, which disproportionally have an effect on older adults,” Mountain mentioned. “The consequences of social isolation on bone, nevertheless, haven’t been totally investigated.”
Within the new examine, researchers uncovered grownup mice to both social isolation (one mouse per cage) or grouped housing (4 mice per cage) for 4 weeks. They discovered that social isolation brought about important reductions in bone high quality, together with lowered bone mineral density, in male, however not feminine mice.
“Total, our knowledge counsel that social isolation has a dramatic destructive impact on bone in male mice, however it might function by totally different mechanisms or in a unique timeframe in feminine mice,” Mountain mentioned. “Future analysis is required to know how these findings translate to human populations.”
Along with exploring the consequences of social isolation in human datasets, her analysis crew will even examine the mechanisms of how social isolation contributes to bone loss utilizing mouse fashions.
“Our work supplies vital perception into the consequences of isolation on bone and has key scientific implications as we grapple with the long-term well being impacts of the rise in social isolation associated to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mountain mentioned.
