Study: Social Interaction is Important for Health

Need another reason to connect with your long-lost friends from high-school? Here's one: researchers say that people who live socially active lives have a 50% lower risk of mortality from all sources than people who live confined and reserves lives.

That's a pretty bold statement to say the least, but there's some strong evidence backing this theory. For the study, researchers analyzed nearly half a dozen separate long-term studies which examined the impact of social connections on an individual's health. Researchers discovered that close relationships with friends and family are essential for both mental and physical health throughout adolescence and "old age."

Researchers found that lack of social interaction had the same impact on blood pressure as diabetes. In other words, people who did not get the recommended amount of social interaction in their lives had blood pressure levels which were roughly as high as people with diabetes. Being that blood pressure is a key risk factor in heart disease and stroke, this is shocking news.

"In adolescence, social isolation is equivalent to the effects of getting no exercise," said Kathleen Mullan Harris, the study's lead author. "The lack of social connections in old age is equivalent to having diabetes, in terms of increasing hypertension."

According to the study, social connections during adolescence and a person's older years are the most important, simply because this is when we make most of our decisions. Middle-aged adults often have families and/or live with their parents, in which case social interaction does not have the same level of importance.

The researchers added that for every additional social connection a person has in his or her life, they will experience further health benefits. This study is just one of many attesting to the importance of regular social interaction.

What do you think of this study?