14 DAY TRIAL // A recent study has investigated the cases of 138,000 people with ages ranging from 30 to 69 and found that the main causes that lead to developing heart disease are loneliness and age. Living alone doubles the risks of an adult to get ill with heart disease, as compared to individuals that live within a couple.
The study was carried out by a medical Danish team led by Dr Kirsten Nielsen at the University Hospital, Aarhus. They started the study with the goal to find out how poor education and low income affects the risks of developing heart disease. To their surprise, they discovered that these cannot be counted as risk factors, but the age and living alone were found to have strongest impact upon heart disorders.
Women aged over 60 and men over 50 living alone proved to be two times more exposed to the risks of angina, heart attack and other related disorders and conditions than the rest of people that live with someone else. The use population consists of 5% women over 60 and 8% men over 50.
The study also showed that individuals living with a partner, employed and with a high level of education were found to have the lower risk of getting heart disorders.
Researchers that participated in the study explained that the adults living alone are more exposed to heart disease risks because they often have higher levels of smoking, obesity and cholesterol.
"Age is of course a risk factor, and when you combine that with living alone you have a group in the population at a very high risk," Dr. Nielse stated for Reuters.