After adjusting for age, sex, education, depressive symptoms at baseline, and comorbidity (high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, lower respiratory disease, and arthritis/rheumatism) 6 years later in Model 3, the Lonely, but Not Isolated group retained a consistently positive association with urine cortisol levels (B = 9.25, 95% CI = 3.24-15.27) and serum IL-6 levels 6 years later (B = 2.76, 95% CI = 0.72-4.79). Here, IL6 is linked to arthritic joint disease.