Older adults who remain lonely for a prolonged period may be at 56 per cent higher risk of suffering a stroke, according to a new study on Tuesday.The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023 declared loneliness as a pressing global health threat with a mortality effect equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
While previous research has linked loneliness to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, the new study by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, US, examined the association between loneliness changes and stroke risk over time.
The “study suggests loneliness may play an important role in stroke incidence, which is already one of the leading causes of long-term disability and mortality worldwide,” said lead author Yenee Soh, research associate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences.