Preventing Chronic Diseases Later In Life

As we get older, we become more susceptible to different health conditions, everything from diabetes and hypertension to heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, anxiety, depression and cancer… so putting measures in place to help reduce the risks early on could make a big difference to how well we age.

Interestingly, new research from the University of Queensland has just revealed that women who enjoy quality relationships in their 40s and 50s are less likely to develop multiple conditions when they’re older.

In fact, having unsatisfying social relationships has the potential to be as much of a risk factor for disease as alcohol intake, lack of exercise or obesity.

Lead author of the study Dr Xiaolin Xu observed that there is a known link between poor health and poor relationships, but thus far studies have primarily been focused on factors such as marital status or the size of social network, or on individual diseases.

“In reality, our lives are more complex – people accumulate health conditions as they age, and it’s possible to be married or have a big social network and still be deeply unhappy. We looked at whether relationship satisfaction made a difference to women’s long-term health and their risk of developing multiple health conditions,” the expert went on to say.

Professor Gita Mishra, director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Women and Non-Communicable Diseases, made further comments, suggesting that the quality of social relationships should be taken into consideration when developing preventative health strategies.

Further studies into the health risks associated with loneliness and social isolation have found that it can increase the risk of premature death from all causes, as well as a 50 per cent increased risk of dementia. Poor social relationships were also associated with a 32 per cent increased risk of stroke and a 29 per cent elevated risk of heart disease.

 

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