Loneliness and isolation linked to heightened risk of heart disease/stroke

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/b-lai041516.php

Public Release: 19-Apr-2016
Loneliness and isolation linked to heightened risk of heart disease/stroke
Effect size comparable to other recognized risk factors, such as anxiety and job strain
BMJ

Loneliness and social isolation are linked to around a 30 per cent increased risk of having a stroke or developing coronary artery disease--the two leading causes of illness and death in high income countries--finds an analysis of the available evidence, published online in the journal Heart.

The size of the effect is comparable to that of other recognised risk factors, such as anxiety and a stressful job, the findings indicate.

Loneliness has already been linked to a compromised immune system, high blood pressure, and ultimately, premature death, but it's not clear what impact it might have on heart disease and stroke risk.

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This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, added to which the researchers point out that it wasn't possible to exclude the potential impact of other unmeasured factors or reverse causation--whereby those with undiagnosed disease were less sociable, so inflating the findings.

Nevertheless, the findings back public health concerns about the importance of social contacts for health and wellbeing, say the researchers.

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