Long-term loneliness increases the risk of stroke by 56%

Long-term loneliness may increase the risk of a stroke by 56%, according to a new study.

Harvard University researchers in the US found that chronic loneliness significantly affects people as they age, increasing their risk of stroke.

In contrast, those experiencing short-term situational loneliness did not face a higher stroke risk, indicating the danger lies in long-term isolation.

Lead author Dr Yenee Soh, a research associate at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said loneliness is increasingly considered a "major public health issue".

“Especially when experienced chronically, our 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.”

The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, used data from 2006 to 2018 from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study.

Between 2006 and 2008, researchers surveyed 12,161 people aged 50 and over who had never had a stroke about their loneliness.

Four years later, 8,936 of them answered the same questions, and researchers categorised the participants based on their responses over the two-time points.

The participants were divided into four groups: "consistently low" (low loneliness scores at both points), "remitting" (high scores initially, low scores later), "recent onset" (low scores initially, high scores later), and "consistently high" (high scores at both points).

Among those who provided two assessments of loneliness over time, 601 strokes occurred between 2010 and 2018. For those whose loneliness was measured at the start of the study, 1,237 strokes occurred.

After accounting for factors like social isolation and depressive symptoms, which are closely related to loneliness but distinct, researchers found that people considered lonely at the start of the study had a 25% higher risk of stroke than those who were not lonely.

Those who scored "consistently high" for loneliness at both time points had a 56% higher risk of stroke compared to the "consistently low" group.

Researchers found no clear pattern of increased stroke risk among the "remitting" and "recent onset" loneliness groups.

They suggested physical reasons to explain the link between loneliness and strokes, including higher blood pressure and lower immunity.

Additionally, lonely individuals might adopt unhealthy lifestyles, such as neglecting medication, smoking, drinking alcohol, and not getting enough sleep.

Dr Soh said: “Repeat assessments of loneliness may help identify those who are chronically lonely and are therefore at a higher risk for stroke.

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“If we fail to address their feelings of loneliness, on a micro and macro scale, there could be profound health consequences.”

They added that people should be offered help based on their loneliness – which relates to how people feel even if surrounded by others – and not social isolation, which is different.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK charity director, said: “Loneliness sucks the joy out of life for far too many of us as we age.

“It can undermine resilience to the stresses and strains of life and leave us feeling disconnected and left behind. In turn, that can have an impact on our health.

“Feeling low can make it that much harder to look after our health properly and manage a health condition. It may mean we feel that there is nowhere to turn when we are worried about a health problem and that can put us off seeking help.

“At Age UK we are calling on the next Government to take a lead with a refreshed national loneliness strategy, delivered by a dedicated minister and supported by a cross-governmental team.”

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