Is Loneliness A Silent Killer?

Could social isolation raise our risk of premature death? And if so, what can we do about it? Woman investigates.

- Natalia Lubomirski

It’s difficult to imagine that in an island of over 65 million people that anyone could be lonely. But social isolation is an increasing problem, especially as we get older. In fact, Prime minister Theresa may considers it important enough to have appointed a minister for loneliness to tackle this growing issue.

In the UK, 2.47 million people aged45-64 live alone* and more than 9 million are thought to be suffering from chronic loneliness. These gloomy statistics are not only upsetting, they’re also a cause for concern, as loneliness is now thought to raise the chance of premature death by a staggering 50%, according to a new study by University College London and the University of Helsinki.

What is loneliness?