Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Cardiovascular Mortality: The Role of Health Care System Interventions

The world is proliferating rapidly, with science and technology advancing at an incredible rate. These advances have, however, ushered in an age with a rise in social isolation (SI) and loneliness. SI is an objective term that refers to lacking social contact or support. On the other hand, loneliness is subjective and refers to feeling alone or isolated. These concepts are rapidly gaining prominence mainly due to their negative impact on the physical and psychological health of the population, mainly through behavioural modifications that encompass substance abuse, decreased physical activity and unhealthy food habits, and poor sleep hygiene. This review summarizes the pathophysiology, evaluates the evidence behind impact of SI on cardiovascular mortality, and interventions to overcome SI.

Through proposed mechanisms, such as activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, both SI and loneliness have strong evidence linking them to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 90 prospective cohort studies including 2,205,199 individuals reported that SI was independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality with a point estimate of 1.34 (95% confidence interval:1.25–1.44).

The evidence so far is compelling and necessitates urgent action with the implementation of strict policies to tackle this issue. As healthcare professionals, it becomes even more critical to remain vigilant, recognize this insidious pandemic, and take appropriate action.