Excerpt from Medical News Today.

BYU study reveals that loneliness and social isolation may increase the risk of premature death by up to 50 percent.

Researchers say that loneliness and social isolation are major risk factors for premature death.

Two new meta-analyses from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, UT, reveal that loneliness and social isolation may increase the risk of premature death by up to 50 percent.

Study co-author Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at BYU, and colleagues recently presented their findings at the 125th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, held in Washington, D.C.

While loneliness and social isolation are often used interchangeably, there are notable differences between the two. Social isolation is defined as a lack of contact with other individuals, while loneliness is the feeling that one is emotionally disconnected from others. In essence, a person can be in the presence of others and still feel lonely.

According to a survey from the AARP, around 35 percent of adults aged 45 and older can be categorized as lonely.

Loneliness and social isolation have both been associated with poor health. One study reported by Medical News Today last year, for example, suggested that loneliness may be linked to Alzheimer’s disease, while other research linked social isolation to reduced survival for breast cancer patients.

Read more at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318723