Loneliness costs women 2.4 years of healthy life, study finds

Researchers at Tulane University analyzed 277,489 adults aged 40–69, finding that loneliness and social isolation significantly shorten disease-free life expectancy. Women with both types of isolation lost 2.4 years of healthy living on average; men lost 1.7 years. For mental health, women lost 3.7 years free from depression or anxiety, men lost 5.8 years. The study, published in Nature Communications, suggests lifestyle changes alone cannot offset loneliness's risks.

This research reframes loneliness and isolation as urgent public health issues, not just personal struggles. They erode years of healthy life, particularly mental health, and disproportionately affect men.