Loneliness and type 2 diabetes incidence: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

TY - JOUR

T1 - Loneliness and type 2 diabetes incidence

T2 - Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

AU - Hackett, Ruth

AU - Hudson, Joanna

AU - Chilcot, Joseph

PY - 2020/11/1

Y1 - 2020/11/1

N2 - Aims/hypothesis: Loneliness is associated with all-cause mortality and coronary heart disease. However, the prospective relationship between loneliness and type 2 diabetes onset is unclear. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal observational population study with data on 4112 diabetes-free participants (mean age 65.02 ± 9.05) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Loneliness was assessed in 2004–2005 using the revised University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Incident type 2 diabetes cases were assessed from 2006 to 2017. Associations were modelled using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for potential confounders, which included cardiometabolic comorbidities. Results: A total of 264 (6.42%) participants developed type 2 diabetes over the follow-up period. Loneliness was a significant predictor of incident type 2 diabetes (HR 1.46; 95% CI 1.15, 1.84; p = 0.002) independent of age, sex, ethnicity, wealth, smoking status, physical activity, alcohol consumption, BMI, HbA 1c, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Further analyses detected an association between loneliness and type 2 diabetes onset (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.04, 1.90; p = 0.027), independent of depressive symptoms, living alone and social isolation. Living alone and social isolation were not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes onset. Conclusions/interpretation: Loneliness is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms underlying this relationship remain to be elucidated. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

AB - Aims/hypothesis: Loneliness is associated with all-cause mortality and coronary heart disease. However, the prospective relationship between loneliness and type 2 diabetes onset is unclear. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal observational population study with data on 4112 diabetes-free participants (mean age 65.02 ± 9.05) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Loneliness was assessed in 2004–2005 using the revised University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. Incident type 2 diabetes cases were assessed from 2006 to 2017. Associations were modelled using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for potential confounders, which included cardiometabolic comorbidities. Results: A total of 264 (6.42%) participants developed type 2 diabetes over the follow-up period. Loneliness was a significant predictor of incident type 2 diabetes (HR 1.46; 95% CI 1.15, 1.84; p = 0.002) independent of age, sex, ethnicity, wealth, smoking status, physical activity, alcohol consumption, BMI, HbA 1c, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Further analyses detected an association between loneliness and type 2 diabetes onset (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.04, 1.90; p = 0.027), independent of depressive symptoms, living alone and social isolation. Living alone and social isolation were not significantly associated with type 2 diabetes onset. Conclusions/interpretation: Loneliness is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms underlying this relationship remain to be elucidated. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

KW - Loneliness

KW - Prospective study

KW - Social isolation

KW - Type 2 diabetes

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090953487&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s00125-020-05258-6

DO - 10.1007/s00125-020-05258-6

M3 - Article

SN - 0012-186X

VL - 63

SP - 2329

EP - 2338

JO - Diabetologia

JF - Diabetologia

IS - 11

ER -