Feeling lonely is not at all good and especially for elderly, says a new study. Researchers at the University of Chicago have said that social isolation increases the risk of premature death by 14%. Loneliness feeling may also bring changes in the production of white blood cells.

While studying gene expression in leukocytes, the researchers have studied loneliness in both humans and rhesus monkeys. Human participants were from the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study, which started in 2002 and the participants were aged between 50 and 68.

They have also carefully assessed the cellular processes that connect social experience to CTRA gene expression in rhesus macaques at the California National Primate Research Center.

Akin to humans, these monkeys also showed higher CTRA activity and higher levels of the flight neurotransmitter norepinephrine. Previous studies indicate that norepinephrine has a role in encouraging stem cells in bone marrow to produce a specific immune cell that exhibits inflammatory gene expression and low level of antiviral gene expression.

Even in humans and in monkeys, those who suffered loneliness had higher levels of monocytes in their blood. This stimulation was linked to negative consequences for health. In monkeys, it led to increased growth of simian immunodeficiency virus, a type of HIV in monkeys, in their blood and brain.

Now, the next step of researchers would be to assess loneliness impact on health and how these effects can be curbed among elderly.