Boston: According to a new study, long-term loneliness can increase the risk of stroke by 56 percent.
Researchers at Harvard University in the United States found in a study that chronic loneliness can have profound effects on people as they age.
The study found that people who experienced short-term isolation did not have an increased risk of stroke compared to those who experienced long-term isolation.
Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a major public health problem, said study lead author Dr. Yeni Soh, who is from the University. Research findings shed more light on why this is so.
Research suggests that loneliness may play a role in the incidence of stroke, which itself (stroke) is one of the leading causes of long-term disability and death globally, he said.
The study used data from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement (HRS) Survey, which followed nearly 9,000 stroke-free people age 50 and older for 10 to 12 years.
