Although there is still sparse information on the relationship between loneliness and specific outcomes, such as heart failure, dementia, and cognitive impairment, the American Heart Association has reported that there is strong evidence linking loneliness with an increased risk of poorer heart and brain health

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Social Isolation and Loneliness

Social isolation and loneliness are associated with about a 30 percent increased risk of heart attack or stroke, or death from either, according to a statement published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Social isolation is defined as having infrequent in-person contact with people, such as family, friends, or members of the same community or religious group.

“Over four decades of research has clearly demonstrated that social isolation and loneliness are both associated with adverse health outcomes,” said Crystal Wiley Cené, M.D, chair of the writing group for the scientific statement, and professor of clinical medicine and chief administrative officer for health equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of California San Diego Health. “Given the prevalence of social disconnectedness across the US, the public health impact is quite significant.”

Cené explains that although social isolation and feeling lonely are related, they are not the same thing. “Individuals can lead a relatively isolated life and not feel lonely, and conversely, people with many social contacts may still experience loneliness,” he said.

However, the risk of social isolation increases with age due to life factors, such as widowhood and retirement. Nearly one-quarter of US adults 65 and older are socially isolated, and estimates of the prevalence of loneliness range from 22 to 47 percent. Younger adults also experience social isolation and loneliness.

Loneliness in America

According to a survey by Harvard University’s Making Caring Common project, “Gen Z” (adults between the ages of 18 and 22) is the generation that is the loneliest.

The Harvard Survey of 2021, which studied the role of the COVID-19 pandemic in aggravating loneliness found that a startling 61 percent of young people aged 18-25 and 51 percent of mothers with young children reported miserable degrees of loneliness.

“Contrary to popular belief, several studies, including ours, suggest that young people are far more likely to be lonely than the general population of adults and that loneliness subsides as people move through middle age,” the study revealed.

The loneliness experiment

In 2018, BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind conducted a study, The Loneliness Experiment, in which 55,000 people took part, making it the largest survey of its kind in the world. The study found that compared to 27 percent of those over 75 years old, 40 percent of study participants aged 16 to 24 said they frequently felt lonely.

“We saw higher levels of loneliness in young people across cultures, countries, and genders,” the study pointed out. “This is higher than in other surveys, but because the survey was online we had a self-selecting sample and might have attracted more people who feel lonely. Our survey shows that loneliness can affect people of all ages.”

In India, Alone and Old

In 2004, the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) of India reported that 1.23 million men and 3.68 million women were living alone or faced loneliness.

Later in 2018, a study published in the International Journal of Advanced Research highlighted that 22 percent of elderly men and 18 percent of elderly women had no friends.

While loneliness in India is associated with aging and older people, a large number of youth and adolescents are reporting feeling chronic levels of loneliness, especially after COVID-19 in 2020.

The risk of death from heart attack, stroke

According to Cené, loneliness leads to a 29 percent increase in the risk of heart attack or heart disease and a 32 percent increased risk of stroke.

“Social isolation and loneliness are also associated with worse prognosis in individuals who already have coronary heart disease or stroke,” Cené said.

Loneliness is also associated with behaviors that negatively impact cardiovascular and brain health, such as lower levels of self-reported physical activity, less fruit and vegetable intake, and more sedentary time. Multiple large studies found significant associations between loneliness and a higher likelihood of smoking.

“There is an urgent need to develop, implement and evaluate programs and strategies to reduce the negative effects of social isolation and loneliness on cardiovascular and brain health, particularly for at-risk populations,” said Cené. “Clinicians should ask patients about the frequency of their social activity and whether they are satisfied with their level of interactions with friends and family. They should then be prepared to refer people who are socially isolated or lonely – especially those with a history of heart disease or stroke – to community resources to help them connect with others.”