Social support is also lacking among lonely individuals. Consistent with the research on caregivers, loneliness has been associated with lower levels of NK cell lysis (reviewed in Kiecolt-Glaser, 1999), and higher levels of
EBV antibody— a measure used to index deficiencies in cell-mediated immunity (Kiecolt-Glaser et al.,1984). Together, the evidence indicates that chronic stress augments, and the stress buffering provided by supportive others diminishes, the immune decline observed with aging.