Social isolation/men

Following are the opening paragraphs of:
EurekAlert Public release date: 11-Nov-2003

Title: Menâs social isolation linked to higher heart disease risk

The full text is at
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-11/aha-msi102203.php

Contact: Carole Bullock   [EMAIL PROTECTED]   214-706-1279
American Heart Association

American Heart Association meeting report

Orlando, Fla. â Older men who have few personal relationships may have
increased risk of heart disease, according to a report presented today at the
American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2003.

In a study examining factors that influence successful aging, researchers found
that among a group of men in their 70s, social isolation was linked to
increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and
fibrinogen in the blood. These blood components are elevated during
inflammation. 

Recent research has suggested that inflammation in the body is a risk marker
for cardiovascular disease. People with elevated CRP and fibrinogen have higher
risks for heart disease and stroke.

"Social isolation may influence these different inflammatory markers and may be
one way social relationships influence our health," said lead author Eric B.
Loucks, Ph.D., research fellow at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He
is a co-investigator for this endeavor in the ongoing MacArthur Successful
Aging Study, a research project which follows 1,189 men and women from Durham,
N.C., Boston, and New Haven, Conn.

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Mike