Research Suggests Loneliness Can Be Deadly

If you haven't seen your older loved ones in a while, now might be the time to pop over. New research, adding to a growing focus on what some call an "epidemic of loneliness," shows people who live alone and don't receive visits from friends or family are 77% more likely to die of any cause, according to the Guardian. The findings comes from researchers at the University of Glasgow, who looked at the effects of loneliness and social isolation on more than 450,000 people in the UK, with an average age of 57. Researchers, who followed participants for more than 12 years on average, found living alone, feeling lonely, feeling unable to confide in someone, infrequent visits from friends or family, and a lack of weekly group activities were each linked to a higher risk of death.

People who did not receive visits were 53% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease and had a 39% higher risk of death than those who received daily visits, while those who lived alone were 48% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, per the Guardian. Compared with those who lived with someone and saw loved ones daily, people who lived alone and didn't receive visits had a 77% higher risk of death from any cause and "an even higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke," per the outlet. The study didn't explore why social isolation was associated with higher risk of death but it cites previous research linking social isolation to poor immune function, cardiovascular issues, and neurodevelopmental impairment, CNN reports.

"It could be that people who are more socially isolated may have some more unhealthy behaviors like smoking or high alcohol intake," says Dr. Hamish Foster, a clinical research fellow at Glasgow's School of Health and Wellbeing and lead author of the study published Friday in BMC Medicine. Or it could be that, without someone to encourage them or take them to doctor appointments, they fail to prioritize their health, Foster says, per the Guardian. The good news is that even monthly visits from friends or family were found to significantly lower one's risk of death. For people who received visits from loved ones, group activities also helped. However, group activities did not appear to lower the risk of premature death for people who did not receive visits from loved ones, suggesting these visits are vital, per CNN. (More loneliness stories.)