A landmark Danish study reveals loneliness as a powerful predictor of premature death and poor heart health outcomes, surpassing even living alone—in both men and women. Researchers analyzed 13,463 patients with ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, heart failure, or valvular disease. They linked national registry data to the DenHeart survey, where patients discharged from five heart centers between April 2013 and April 2014 shared insights on physical/mental health, lifestyle factors like smoking, and social support.
Social support was evaluated through living status and targeted questions on loneliness: “Do you have someone to talk to when you need it?” and “Do you sometimes feel alone even though you want to be with someone?” As a lead researcher explained, “It’s vital to distinguish these—some live alone contentedly, while others feel isolated despite companionship.”
Loneliness predicted worse outcomes across all heart conditions, even after adjusting for age, education, comorbidities, BMI, smoking, and alcohol use. It doubled mortality risk for women and nearly doubled it for men. Lonely patients were three times more likely to experience anxiety and depression symptoms, with significantly lower quality of life.
