Loneliness associated with higher risk of premature death, study says

BOSTON - Loneliness is not only bad for mental health, but it can be deadly.

According to the CDC, more than a third of adults 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly a quarter of older adults are considered socially isolated, putting them at risk for chronic illness.

In this new analysis, a team of researchers in China reviewed 90 previous studies involving more than two million individuals and found that social isolation and loneliness were associated with a higher risk of premature death from all causes, including cancer and heart disease. They said healthcare providers should pay close attention to people who feel lonely or cut off from society in order to improve their well-being and longevity.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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