Question 424 of 433
Is loneliness really as harmful as smoking?
The short answer
Social isolation and weak relationships are associated with higher mortality. The smoking comparison is a public-health analogy, not a precise conversion of loneliness into cigarettes.
An analysis of 148 studies reported about 50 percent greater odds of survival with stronger social relationships. Odds are not the same as a 50 percent increase in the probability of survival, and these mostly observational studies do not isolate a single causal effect. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has followed people for more than eighty years, reached one main conclusion: close relationships were associated with later health and well-being. That does not make cholesterol unimportant or establish a universal ranking of predictors.
Human beings are not built to be alone. Call the friend. Join the group. Eat with other people.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
OBSERVATIONAL META-ANALYSIS — Social ties and survival; odds ratios and smoking analogies are not individual risk conversions.Evidence grade (draft mapping)CObservationalPart 29, Q424 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.