Scientists find “feeling lonely” almost doubles the risk of dying

Scientists in the US have discovered that “feeling lonely” almost doubles the risk of dying.

Loneliness was also associated with functional decline and a reduction in day-to-day activities.

Carla Perissinotto, from the University of California: “Loneliness is a common source of suffering in older persons. We demonstrate that it is also a risk factor for poor health outcomes including death and multiple measures of functional decline.”

A separate US study has found a link between living alone and the risk of death from heart disease, after examining data on 44,573 middle-aged participants, 8,594 of whom lived alone.