Study: Loneliness Linked To Stroke Risk Among Older Adults

A US study has found that chronically lonely older adults had a higher risk of stroke compared to those who reported minimal isolation.

The findings were published in the journal ‘eClinicalMedicine’. The researchers from Harvard examined data from over 12,000 adults aged 50 and above and tracked loneliness levels twice four years apart.

They compared their loneliness level to stroke incidence. Participants who identified as lonely during the first assessment had a 25 per cent greater chance of experiencing a stroke compared to those who didn’t.

Those who reported consistent feelings of loneliness across both assessments, there was a 56 per cent higher risk of stroke compared to those who consistently did not feel isolated. “Loneliness is increasingly considered a major public health issue.”