June 25, 2024 - Loneliness isn't just a state of mind - it could be a matter of life and death.

At least that's according to groundbreaking research from Harvard. Their latest study dives deep into how feelings of isolation, often brushed off as a natural part of aging, could dramatically up the odds of having a devastating stroke among middle-age and older adults.

"Loneliness is increasingly considered a major public health issue. Our findings further highlight why that is," lead author Yenee Soh, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a statement. "Especially when experienced chronically, our study suggests loneliness may play an important role in stroke incidence, which is already one of the leading causes of long-term disability and mortality worldwide."

The researchers took a novel approach of examining the impact of chronic loneliness. Previous studies have linked loneliness during a single point in time to heart and brain health.