Lonely Seniors at Higher Risk of Decline, Death

Research from the National Institute on Aging shows that seniors who describe themselves as being lonely have a 59 percent greater risk of physical decline (defined as the inability to complete daily activities) and a 45 percent increased risk of death. 

The investigators found that loneliness was not necessarily tied to living alone. Of the 1,604 seniors who were surveyed, 43 percent said that they felt lonely, but only 18 percent lived alone. 

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