Reading the latest New Scientist 16 January 2010, article about collaborative research between sociologists and biologists looking at two neighbourhoods in Chicago comparing populations from Clearing (well to do area) with Englewood (very poor crime ridden area). Suggests that residents of Englewood are contantly under stress and being on the alert and in a heightened state of readiness with high levels of cortisol. That this means such residents are much more prone to malignant breast cancers at +68%. That standard anti cancers drugs don’t work.
Suggests that social isolation and fear of crime cause an overload of stress hormones that actually change human cell biology and that social interventions may be the best way to fight such cancers.
Reported that others have hints of stress and social deprivation causing greater diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Similarly research into prostate cancers has found that prognosis is worse for black men without the support of social networks from families or friends.
What does this mean for Southwark with its very deprived areas? Do we have such social isolation to cause such terrible illness?