Health Psychology: Loneliness May Accelerate Biological Ageing by Three Months
12:47 10 November, 2026Loneliness and a lack of social contact are associated with accelerated biological ageing and an increased risk of death. People who experience both loneliness and social isolation show even stronger signs of ageing. This is the conclusion reached by Chinese researchers. The findings were published in the journal Health Psychology.
The authors analysed data from 309,746 participants in the UK Biobank. The volunteers had an average age of 56, and their health was monitored for an average of 14.4 years.
The researchers assessed social isolation and loneliness separately. Social isolation was measured using factors such as living alone, infrequent contact with close friends and family, and a lack of participation in group activities. Loneliness was assessed based on the subjective feeling of insufficient social contact and the absence of someone in one's life to confide in.
Biological age was calculated using the PhenoAge formula, which takes into account blood markers associated with inflammation and organ function.
“Among the most socially isolated participants, biological age was approximately four months higher, on average, than expected for their actual age. Among those experiencing loneliness, the difference was about three months. The effect was stronger when both factors were present,” the researchers said.
In addition, each additional point on the social isolation scale was associated with a 13.9% increase in the relative risk of death from any cause, while each additional point on the loneliness scale was associated with an 8.9% increase.
“Genetic analysis also revealed an association between a predisposition to loneliness and accelerated biological ageing. Regular visits to sports clubs and gyms, as well as participation in religious activities, were, by contrast, associated with more favourable indicators,” the study reports.