Older Adults Whose Loneliness Exceeds Their Social Isolation Have 13% Higher Mortality Risk & 16% Higher Heart Disease Risk

Adults age 50 and older who report feeling lonelier than their objective level of social contact would predict face significantly higher risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality, according to a recent longitudinal study. Compared with participants classified as socially resilient, those classified as socially vulnerable had a 13% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 16% higher risk of CVD.

The study followed 7,845 adults age 50 and older for an average of 13.6 years, tracking incident cases of CVD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and dementia. Loneliness was assessed using the UCLA 3 . . .