Loneliness poses risks as deadly as smoking, America’s top doctor says
- Isolation increases the risk of premature death by nearly 30 per cent, according to a new report from US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s office
- Those with poor social relationships are at greater risk of stroke and heart disease, and are more likely to experience depression, anxiety and dementia
Widespread loneliness in the US poses health risks as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually, the US surgeon general said on Tuesday in declaring the latest public health epidemic.
About half of US adults say they have experienced loneliness, Dr Vivek Murthy said in an 81-page report from his office.
“We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing,” Murthy said in an interview.
“Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing.”
The declaration is intended to raise awareness around loneliness but will not unlock federal funding or programming devoted to combating the issue.