The risk

Did you know that one non-trivial and alterable risk factor for dying is loneliness?

In a research study of nine-thousand patients, age >=50 years old, who had an 8 year exposure window and then follow-up, scientists adjusted for a whole host of other factors known to impact death rates. And yet even after those adjustments, compared to patients who reported loneliness 0 times over those 8 years, patients who reported loneliness had many excess deaths.

For patients who reported loneliness 1 time, there were an extra 26.5% deaths.

2 times, there were 50.5% extra deaths.

Three times – 72% extra deaths.

Those numbers are not trivial.

So what can I do?

First, read the scientific article and summary, if you need more convincing.

Then, think of things you like to do. Whether that’s something that’s more easily social like watching team sporting events, or something more independent such as knitting, make a list.

Then go find groups of people who do those things you like to do, and join them.

But don’t forget step 4: Now that you’ve made some acquaintances who like to do things you do too, find ways to spend more time with them. If you’ve joined an origami group that meets once a month at the library, and someone there sounds particularly interesting, try inviting them to do something with you halfway between this month’s and next month’s origami meetup.

It likely won’t work out immediately. Don’t give up, try again. Make it your goal to go to groups every month, and to spend time with a new acquaintance at least once a month, every month in 2024. Then in December 2024, assess how it went. Hopefully you’ll have one or more new friends, so you can avoid being a loneliness statistic.