Association Between Loneliness, CV Events Often Explained by Conventional Risk Factors

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

The association between loneliness or social isolation and cardiovascular disease often has to do with underlying risk factors, like unhealthy lifestyles or poor mental health, suggests a study in Heart.

Nearly 500,000 U.K. adults completed surveys about their social isolation and loneliness. During 7 years' follow-up, researchers used registry data to track cardiovascular events.

Loneliness and social isolation were each associated with increased risk for incident acute myocardial infarction, incident stroke, and mortality after MI or stroke. However, after adjusting for risk factors like health behaviors, depressive symptoms, socioeconomic factors, and chronic diseases, the risk was reduced to nonsignificant levels in most cases. The adjusted risk was still significant for social isolation and mortality after acute MI and stroke (hazard ratios, 1.25 and 1.32).

The authors note: "Targeting conventional risk factors could reduce cardiovascular disease burden among isolated and lonely individuals."