A new study on chronic loneliness has shocking results

Older adults who experience chronic loneliness have a 56 percent higher risk of stroke than those who are not lonely, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Day.Az, citing lent.az, reported that Dr. Vivek Murthy mentioned that lack of social contact increases the risk of premature death by more than 60%.

The study authors surveyed 12,161 adults aged 50 and older who had never had a stroke about their loneliness. Four years later, 8,936 of them returned and answered the same questions. During the eight-year follow-up, 601 of the 8,936 participants had a stroke.

The researchers found that the group with “high persistent” loneliness had a 56% higher risk of stroke than the less lonely group.

The researchers believe that the effect of loneliness on stroke risk may emerge over time.

The research results were published in eClinicalMedicine.

“Re-evaluating loneliness may make it easier to identify chronically lonely individuals who are at increased risk for stroke. If we fail to address loneliness at both the micro and macro levels, this could have serious health consequences,” the researchers stressed.