References
RESEARCH ROUNDUP

Abstract
George Winter provides an overview of recently published articles that may be of interest to practice nurses. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
The association between loneliness and adverse physical and psychological health outcomes – like depression and anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality – also includes type 2 diabetes (T2D). In this prospective study of 465 290 adults (aged over 16 years) who participated in the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys, Rosenkilde et al (2024) investigated the association between loneliness and T2D and the modifying effect of mental disorders.
The main finding of their study is that loneliness was associated with T2D independently of a range of covariates. Specifically, feeling lonely occasionally was associated with a 14% increased risk of T2D, whereas feeling lonely often was associated with a 24% increased risk of T2D. In addition, the association between loneliness and T2D was stronger among those individuals without a mental disorder compared to those with a mental disorder.
As to possible reasons for such associations, loneliness has been associated with raised concentrations of stress hormones, especially cortisol. Raised cortisol concentrations are related to raised concentrations of blood glucose, thus promoting insulin resistance that can lead to T2D. Further, those individuals who feel lonely may be more likely to engage in adverse health behaviours like unhealthy dietary habits, physical inactivity, and smoking, all of which are well-recognised risk factors for T2D.
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