Research conducted by experts at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and published in the journal eClinicalMedicine on June 24 reveals that living alone can significantly increase the risk of stroke in the elderly. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, leading to rapid brain cell death. Loneliness, identified as a major public health concern by Yenee Soh, a research associate in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, can heighten the risk of stroke, a leading cause of disability and death globally.
While previous studies have shown a connection between loneliness and cardiovascular disease, the specific impact of loneliness on stroke risk has been less explored. The study, one of the first to investigate this link, utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from 2006-2018 with over 12,600 participants aged 50 and older who had not previously experienced a stroke. Participants completed a revised UCLA Loneliness Scale survey.
After 4 years, researchers categorized participants into 5 groups based on their loneliness levels and analyzed their stroke risk over time, factoring in other health and lifestyle risk factors. The results showed that individuals experiencing loneliness had a higher risk of stroke, with those living alone at the greatest risk. Moderately lonely individuals had a 25% higher stroke rate compared to those who did not report loneliness.
Further analysis is warranted to explore the nuances of loneliness within each group, potentially providing more insights into the connection between loneliness and stroke risk.