How Loneliness Affects Your Health

When we think about loneliness, we don’t associate it with risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. But a growing body of research shows that loneliness significantly impairs physical and mental health. Loneliness is linked to a 29 percent higher risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke, accelerated cognitive decline, and increased mortality. Chronic, profound…