July 30, 2010

By Rich Bernstein

No one argues that it’s easy to quantify exactly how much longer you will live, on average, if you have great social relationships with friends and family. However, the cumulative results of 148 studies indicate that strong personal relationships mean that a person is 50 percent more likely to survive over a specific period of time.

Even that statement is rather vague, but a study published in the July issue of PLoS Medicine indicates that people with more robust social ties can enjoy as much an advantage in longevity as a non-smoker versus a smoker. In fact, the researchers stated that strong relationships are a greater factor in longevity than obesity and alcohol abuse. Those are some strong statements.

More than 308,000 people were tracked an average of 7.5 years in the studies, which took place in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The results were somewhat consistent regardless of geographic region.

Based on the library of physiological studies that have taken place over the last 10-15 years, researchers proposed many reasons why relationships are so vital to living longer.

•    People who are social are just healthier to begin with because they are more active and have more energy to engage in social activities.

•    Friends and family check up on each other and make each other follow up on health issues, even insisting to wear seat belts, etc.

•    Taking care of others makes us take better care of ourselves, such as when a mother quits smoking or other habits when she has a baby

•    Social relationships lower blood pressure and heart rate, according to studies

•    Studies also suggest immune response is affected by stress hormones. It seems a strong social life can help keep physiological stress in check.

The researchers hope that the information amassed from the 148 studies will convince the medical community, and even patients themselves, to develop strategies that can help lead to longer lives. Obviously, social isolation is a negative factor in longevity. In this era of technology and divorce, the quantity and quality of relationships is decreasing. Yet it appears that people need to be aware that they should take an active approach in putting themselves in positive social atmospheres and fostering positive relationships with friends and family.

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