Loneliness, Living Alone Might Shorten Life

June 19th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

MONDAY, June 18 (HealthDay News) — They say that one is the
loneliest number, but it might also be the deadliest.

Two new studies suggest that living alone or being lonely can raise a
person’s risk of dying from heart disease or any cause.

In one study, people with heart disease who lived alone were more
likely to die than their counterparts who did not. A second report showed
that people aged 60 or older were at an increased risk of functional
decline and/or death if they felt left out, isolated or reported a lack of
companionship. Both studies were released online June 18 in the
Archives of Internal Medicine.

“Living alone may be a risk factor for a bad outcome,” said study
author Dr. Deepak Bhatt, director of the integrated cardiovascular
intervention program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The study
only looked at whether the individual lived alone. Researchers did not ask
whether this was a choice or if they had lost a partner or had a pet.

But, he said, a person can be lonely and not live alone, and live alone
and not be lonely. Still, living alone, regardless of the reason, should
be a red flag for doctors to ask more questions.

There are many reasons that living alone or feeling lonely could
increase risk for health problems and death. “If you had a heart attack
and run out of medication and don’t fill your prescription, you will run
into trouble,” he said. “Spouses and children can run out and get
medications for you, and then you are less likely to get into
trouble.”

What’s more, someone who is lonely may be more likely to be depressed,
he said. This would make them less likely to take care of themselves,
which could increase their risk of dying from any cause. Bottom line is
that “doctors should get a good social history,” Bhatt said.

In the second report, Dr. Carla Perissinotto, of the University of
California, San Francisco, found that loneliness was associated with an
increased risk of death during the study’s six-year follow-up period.
What’s more, loneliness was also associated with functional decline.

Taken together, “the studies show that social isolation is associated
with cardiovascular mortality in people with heart disease,” said Dr.
Nieca Goldberg, a clinical associate professor in the department of
medicine at the Leon H. Carney Division of Cardiology at NYU Langone
Medical Center and medical director at the Joan H. Tisch Center for
Women’s Health in New York City.

It’s all about a patient’s support system, she said. Health care
providers need to try to identify a support system — or lack thereof —
before a person with heart disease is released from the hospital. “A
support system doesn’t have to be an individual, it can be a place of
worship or senior’s group,” Goldberg noted.

While the study uncovered an association between being lonely and an
increased risk for health problems and death, it did not prove a
cause-and-effect relationship.

More Information

Learn about other risks for heart disease at the American Heart Association.