Loneliness, a pervasive emotional state that adversely affects mental and physical health, increases the risk of many chronic health disorders, including cardiovascular diseases. A recent study found that loneliness increases the risk of stroke by as much as 56%.

Researchers analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study, which included adults aged 50 years or older who were stroke-free at the start. Participants ranked their loneliness on a scale of three to nine, with scores above six considered “high.” Researchers tracked the incidence of stroke among the participants over 10 to 12 years.

They found that higher loneliness scores at baseline were associated with an increased risk of stroke, with a one-point increase in loneliness score corresponding to a 5% higher likelihood of stroke. Participants with high loneliness scores were 25% more likely to experience a stroke, even after accounting for social isolation without depressive symptoms. Notably, participants with consistently high loneliness over time were 56% more likely to experience stroke than those with consistently low loneliness.

These findings suggest that chronic loneliness is a major risk factor for stroke, independent of depressive symptoms or social isolation. Addressing loneliness may be crucial for stroke prevention, and regular assessments of loneliness in clinical settings could help identify people at higher risk.

Interestingly, sleep and loneliness are inherently linked, and poor sleep increases the risk of stroke. Not getting enough sleep triggers the onset of a “loneliness phenotype,” driving people who are sleep-deprived to avoid social interaction. Learn more about the effects of sleep on feelings of loneliness in this clip featuring Dr. Matt Walker.