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Sometimes, life kicks you when you’re down. According to new research, that crummy, achy, sneezy feeling you get when you have a cold is worse if you are also feeling lonely. (Netburn, 3/30)

A study published Thursday in Health Psychology found that among people who fell ill after being exposed to a cold virus, those who were lonely were more likely to report severe runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and other symptoms. That adds to the evidence linking loneliness to more serious health problems including heart disease and early death. (Hobson, 3/30)

It didn't matter how many people a study subject knew. What seemed important was whether people felt lonely, which can happen whether you know a lot of people or only a few. "High quality relationships can occur within any size social network," the research team wrote. People who felt lonely said their cold symptoms felt more severe. The researchers did not measure how sick people actually were. (Burling, 3/30)