New research suggests that there is a direct biological link between being lonely and ill health, the LiveScience website reported.

John Cacioppo of University of Chicago has found that loneliness is tied to hardening of the arteries, inflammation in the body, and even problems with learning and memory.

In one study, Cacioppo and Steve Cole of the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) observed a change in the immune system of socially isolated people.

"What we see is a consistent pattern where it looks like human immune cells are programmed with a defensive strategy that gets activated in lonely people," Cole said. The result is that a lonely person's body has let its defenses down to viral and other invaders.

In addition, loneliness can destroy the quality of sleep, so that a person's sleep is less restorative, both physically and psychologically.

(China.org.cn March 11, 2012)

据“热点科学”网报道，一项新研究显示，孤独和不良的健康之间存在直接的生理联系。

来自芝加哥大学的约翰·卡乔波发现，孤独可引起动脉硬化、身体发炎，甚至产生学习和记忆问题。

在一项研究中，卡乔波和加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校的史蒂夫·科尔观察到社会孤立人士免疫系统产生的变化。

科尔说：“我们观察到一种稳定的特征：貌似孤独人士的人体免疫细胞受控于一种激活的防御策略。”这导致孤独人士身体降低了对病毒性等入侵物的防御。

另外，孤独还可降低睡眠质量，导致身心恢复功能减弱。