Breaking up is hard to do: Study suggests living alone, failed relationships linked to inflammation in men

A new study from the University of Copenhagen suggests middle-aged men—but not women—who live alone and have gone through more than two break-ups have higher markers of inflammation compared to men in stable relationships. “Both living alone for more than six years and experiencing two or more breakups increase the risk of high inflammation in men, but not in women,” said lead author Dr. Rikke Lund, a professor in the department of public health at the University of Copenhagen. The findings come from an analysis of 4,835 Danish participants in the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank and information from a national annual register. The study period was from 1986 to 2011 and people who lived alone the whole time were not included. Break-ups were when couples stopped sharing a home. Losing a partner through death was also included. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured from blood samples when participants were 50 to 60 years old. The good news is that 54% the men and 48% of the women studied had no break-ups over the 26-year-long study period. Yet, the men who did suffer two or more break-ups had 17% higher concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers compared to men in stable relationships. Men that lived alone for more than seven years had 12% higher concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers compared to men who continued to live with partners. While break-ups or years lived alone may not be a risk factor of poor health, the combination of multiple break-ups and many years lived alone significantly increase CRP and IL-6 levels, the authors stated. There were no differences in concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers in women. Read: When marriage ends... “Chronic tissue irritation in the body is associated with a number of diseases, including arteriosclerosis, dementia and increased mortality. We also know that a minor, but long-term CRP increase is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and such an increase is also seen in this group of men,” Dr. Lund said in a press release from the University of Copenhagen about the study. Dr. Lund said that the results of the study do not mean that couples should stay in difficult relationships, since previous studies show stressful relationships also produces health risks. Rather, the results do identify a group of people at risk for poor health and provide a target for intervention, the authors state. Read: New Brunswick urologist creates website encouraging those without family doctors not to skip prostate exams “We need to consider introducing special initiatives targeted at men who suffer breakups or live alone for a period of years,” Dr. Lund said. In November 2021, the Danish Parliament announced a national strategy to tackle loneliness, with funding of CND$4.69 million until 2025. “Focusing attention on the issue is a good thing. Unfortunately, the new pool contains too little research funding, and the problem is that we do not know exactly which initiatives can successfully fight loneliness, which is one potential consequence of living alone,” Dr. Lund said. The study was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Read: Pandemic pressures: Nova Scotia offers pioneering helpline exclusively for men

Breaking up is hard to do: Study suggests living alone, failed relationships linked to inflammation in men

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