Chronic loneliness significantly increases the risk of stroke in adults aged 50 and above, found a new research by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The research, published in eClinicalMedicine, highlights the critical impact of loneliness on long-term health outcomes.
The study, led by Yenee Soh, research associate in the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) spanning 2006 to 2018. Researchers assessed the association between changes in loneliness and stroke incidence over time, using responses from 12,161 participants who had never experienced a stroke at the study’s outset.
KEY FINDINGS
The findings revealed that adults who experienced chronic loneliness had a 56% higher risk of stroke compared to those who reported consistently low levels of loneliness. Participants who were considered lonely at baseline had a 25% higher risk of stroke than those not considered lonely. Those in the “consistently high” loneliness group, who reported high levels of loneliness at both baseline and follow-up, showed the greatest increase in stroke risk.
LONELINESS AND STROKE RISK OVER TIME
Participants were categorized into four groups based on their loneliness scores from the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale at two time points:
- Consistently low – low loneliness at both points
- Remitting – high at baseline, low at follow-up
- Recent onset – low at baseline, high at follow-up
- Consistently high – high at both points
Of the participants who provided two assessments, 601 strokes occurred during the follow-up period from 2010 to 2018. The study adjusted for various health and behavioural risk factors, including social isolation and depressive symptoms, to isolate the impact of loneliness on stroke risk.
CHRONIC LONELINESS AS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE
“Loneliness is increasingly considered a major public health issue. Our findings further highlight why that is,” said Soh. “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.”
IMPORTANCE OF REPEATED LONELINESS ASSESSMENTS
The study’s results underscore the importance of repeated loneliness assessments to identify individuals at higher risk. The data showed that situational loneliness did not elevate stroke risk, suggesting that the detrimental effects of loneliness on stroke develop over the long term.
IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERVENTION
“Repeat assessments of loneliness may help identify those who are chronically lonely and are therefore at a higher risk for stroke. If we fail to address their feelings of loneliness, on a micro and macro scale, there could be profound health consequences,” said Soh. “Importantly, these interventions must specifically target loneliness, which is a subjective perception and should not be conflated with social isolation.”
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
The authors call for further research to explore nuanced changes in loneliness over both short and long periods. Understanding the underlying mechanisms linking loneliness to stroke is crucial for developing effective interventions. They also note that the study’s findings are specific to middle-aged and older adults, suggesting a need for research into younger populations to determine if similar risks exist.
