@article{90bf99fd5ad54a39a43a3e80340eee45,
title = "Loneliness in middle age and biomarkers of systemic inflammation: Findings from Midlife in the United States",
abstract = "Objective: Middle-aged adults who are lonely have an elevated likelihood of death. Systemic inflammation may contribute to these increased odds. Using population-level data, this study tested if systemic inflammation is associated with loneliness in a broad age range of middle-aged adults in the United States. Methods: This study used data from the Midlife in the US (MIDUS) survey Biomarker Project, which collected data on psychological, social, and physiological measures from a sample of middle-aged adults. This sample included the 927 participants who were 35–64 years at Biomarker Project data collection. MIDUS collected baseline data from 1995-1996 and a follow-up survey was conducted from 2004-2006. The baseline Milwaukee sample of African Americans was collected in 2005–2006 and the biomarker database was collected in 2004–2009. Biomarkers were obtained from a fasting blood sample. Self-reported loneliness was categorized as feeling lonely or not feeling lonely. Hierarchical regressions examined the association between biomarkers of systemic inflammation (interleukin-6, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein) and feeling lonely, adjusted for covariates. Results: Twenty-nine percent of the sample reported feeling lonely most or some of the time. There was a positive significant relationship between loneliness and the three systemic inflammation biomarkers after controlling for covariates: interleukin-6 (n = 873) (b [se] = 0.07 [0.03], p =.014); fibrinogen (n = 867) (b [se] = 18.24 [7.12], p =.011); and C-reactive protein (n = 867) (b [se] = 0.08 [0.04], p =.035). Conclusions: Feeling lonely is associated with systemic inflammation in middle-aged community-dwelling US adults.",
keywords = "C-reactive protein, Fibrinogen, Interleukin-6, Loneliness, Middle age, Systemic inflammation",
author = "Nersesian, {Paula V.} and Han, {Hae Ra} and Gayane Yenokyan and Blumenthal, {Roger S.} and Nolan, {Marie T.} and Hladek, {Melissa D.} and Szanton, {Sarah L.}",
note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the Pre-doctoral Clinical Research Training Program , Grant Number TR001078 , awarded by Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research . Data management was supported through Grant Number 1UL1TR001079 from the National Center for Research Resources and NCATS, NIH ; the Interdisciplinary Training in Cardiovascular Health Research grants, 5T32NR012704-04 and 5T32NR012704-03 , awarded by Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing under a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH ; the Jonas Nurse Scholars Program ; and the NEF Liesel M. Hiemenz scholarship . The MIDUS 1 study was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development , the MIDUS 2 research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging ( P01-AG020166 ) to conduct a longitudinal follow-up of the MIDUS 1 investigation, and MIDUS biomarker research was further supported by the following grants M01-RR023942 (Georgetown), M01-RR00865 (UCLA) from the General Clinical Research Centers Program and UL1TR000427 (UW) from the NCATS, NIH . Support provided by Chakra Budhathoki, PhD in project development and Gwendolyn Clemens in data management is appreciated. Funding Information: This research was supported by the Pre-doctoral Clinical Research Training Program, Grant Number TR001078, awarded by Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. Data management was supported through Grant Number 1UL1TR001079 from the National Center for Research Resources and NCATS, NIH; the Interdisciplinary Training in Cardiovascular Health Research grants, 5T32NR012704-04 and 5T32NR012704-03, awarded by Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing under a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH; the Jonas Nurse Scholars Program; and the NEF Liesel M. Hiemenz scholarship. The MIDUS 1 study was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Midlife Development, the MIDUS 2 research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging (P01-AG020166) to conduct a longitudinal follow-up of the MIDUS 1 investigation, and MIDUS biomarker research was further supported by the following grants M01-RR023942 (Georgetown), M01-RR00865 (UCLA) from the General Clinical Research Centers Program and UL1TR000427 (UW) from the NCATS, NIH. Support provided by Chakra Budhathoki, PhD in project development and Gwendolyn Clemens in data management is appreciated. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Elsevier Ltd",
year = "2018",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.04.007",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "209",
pages = "174--181",
journal = "Social Science and Medicine",
issn = "0277-9536",
publisher = "Elsevier Limited",
}