Being lonely and socially isolated can increase a person's risk of heart disease or stroke, new research suggests.
The effect loneliness has on the heart is similar to that seen in people who suffer anxiety or have stressful jobs, according to researchers from the universities of York, Liverpool and Newcastle.
They examined 23 studies, involving more than 181 000 adults, where 4 628 coronary heart disease and more than 3 000 stroke events were recorded.
After analysing the data, they found that loneliness and isolation were associated with a 29 percent increase in risk for coronary heart disease and a 32 percent increase in risk of stroke.
We found an association between poor social relationships and incident cardiovascular disease comparable in size to other recognised psychosocial risk factors, such as anxiety and job strain, the authors wrote in the journal Heart. Tackling loneliness and isolation may be a valuable addition to coronary heart disease and stroke prevention strategies. Health practitioners have an important role to play in acknowledging the importance of social relations to their patients.
Previous research has already linked loneliness and social isolation to premature death, but until now the but the size of the associated risk to cardiovascular health was unclear.
In a linked editorial, Dr Julianne Holt-Lunstad and Dr Timothy Smith from Brigham Young University in Utah, USA, said health workers should inform patients of the importance of social interaction as part of a healthy lifestyle.
Commenting on the study, the Local Government Association's community wellbeing spokeswoman Izzi Seccombe said: “In the past it may have been treated as a trivial matter, but loneliness is a serious condition that can severely affect a person's mental and physical wellbeing. “
Councils are addressing this through early intervention, with a number of local authorities leading the way in partnership with volunteer and community organisations.
The Independent