Threats of a lonely heart

Loneliness can pose a significant threat to aging people with heart disease, especially those who live by themselves.

In fact, research shows that elderly men and women living alone — with no one to talk to — are far more vulnerable to severe cardiovascular perils.

According to The Annals of Behavioral Medicine, humans are hardwired to rely on secure social surroundings. Without human association, they feel vulnerable and become hypervigilant about their safety. This hypervigilance alters sleep and body functioning, and increases the chance of death.

In July 2018, a study presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual nursing congress reported on nearly 13,500 Dutch patients living with heart disease, heart failure, or arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm).

Researchers had discovered that regardless of a patient’s heart condition, age, education, and degree of smoking, loneliness was a factor in the more harmful results. In fact, patients who said they had no one to talk to in times of need had nearly twice the risk of death. Patients with little or no social support were three times as likely to express symptoms of anxiety, depression, and significantly lower quality of life.