Loneliness increases the risk of heart attack by up to 50%, according to a new study conducted by Harvard University in the United States, reports The Telegraph.
The scientists analyzed the cases of 12,000 people who were over the age of 50 between 2006 and 2018.
They found that those who suffered from loneliness were more likely to suffer a heart attack.
“Loneliness is considered a major public health problem. Our finding underscores this. Especially in its chronic form, our study suggested that loneliness could play an important role in the incidence of heart attack, which is already one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide.”said Dr. Yenee Soh, study coordinator at the Harvard School of Public Health.
About 12,161 people aged 50 and over who had never had a heart attack were asked about loneliness between 2006 and 2008.
Four years later, 8,936 of them, who remained in the study, answered the same questions, and the scientists grouped them according to the answers they gave.
Among those who reported experiencing loneliness over time, there were 601 heart attacks between 2010 and 2018.
The figures were even higher for those who declared that they suffered from loneliness from the very beginning. In these cases, no less than 1,237 heart attacks occurred.
“Repeating assessments of loneliness may help us identify those who suffer from chronic loneliness and are thus more prone to heart attack. If we fail to address their feelings of loneliness, on a micro and macro scale, there will be big health consequences.”added the project coordinator.
This is not the first study to demonstrate a link between feelings of loneliness and poor health.
This is not the first study to link loneliness to health problems
A previous study by the University of York showed that people who suffer from loneliness are 30% more likely to have a heart attack or heart disease, two of the leading causes of death in the UK.
Experts believe that there are several explanations for this phenomenon. Some believe that single people have fewer people around them to encourage them to stay healthy, or to notice when they get sick.
