By Naveen Athrappully
Contributing Writer
People who face loneliness are at a higher risk of degenerative valvular heart disease, an illness in which the heart’s valves, which direct blood flow within the organ, suffer deterioration.
The finding was published in a peer-reviewed study in the Journal of the American Heart Association on April 15. In the study, researchers assessed data from almost 463,000 people from a biomedical database. Of these, 72% had minimal loneliness, while the remaining were deemed to have higher loneliness levels.
During a follow-up period of nearly 14 years, 11,003 cases of degenerative VHD were identified. Of this, there were 4,280 cases of aortic valve stenosis, which results in blood flow blockages, and 4,693 cases of mitral valve regurgitation, which involves blood leakage.
“Compared with participants with the lowest loneliness score (index=0), those with the highest loneliness score (index=2) had a significantly increased risk of degenerative VHD,” the study said.
People with the highest levels of loneliness faced a 19% higher risk of developing degenerative VHD, 21% more risk of aortic valve stenosis, and 23% higher risk of mitral valve regurgitation.
During the follow-up period, among patients with degenerative VHD, 26% underwent valve replacement or suffered cardiovascular death, while another 46% developed major valvular or cardiovascular events. Here as well, “higher loneliness severity was associated with an increased risk of clinical outcomes,” the study said.
In an April 15 statement, the American Heart Association said the relationship between loneliness and VHD could be partially explained by unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking, excess alcohol consumption, obesity, irregular physical activity, and suboptimal sleep duration.
American Heart Association volunteer expert Crystal Wiley Cene said that the aging process can cause degeneration of heart valves, and “the risk of social isolation and loneliness also increase with age, so it is not inconceivable that loneliness is associated with heart valve disease,” adding that health care professionals need to discuss the issue of loneliness with patients.
Cene highlighted that loneliness is not about the number of relationships but about their quality, since a person can be lonely even when surrounded by others if those connections are not meaningful or fulfilling.
“Loneliness represents a mismatch between the connections a person desires and what they have. This explains why our youngest generations are the most connected generations with lots of online ‘friends,’ yet also may be the loneliest. Connections that exist online only may not be the most fulfilling,” Cene said.
Loneliness, Health Impacts
Americans are suffering from the stress of loneliness and societal division, according to a Nov. 6, 2025, statement from the American Psychological Association (APA), citing data from The Harris Poll.
In the poll, half or more adults said they felt left out, isolated, or lacking companionship, often or sometimes. Almost 7 out of 10 respondents said they needed more emotional support over the past year than they received.
Arthur C. Evans Jr., CEO of APA, said that people across the nation are “not just feeling divided, they’re feeling disconnected.”
“Research tells us that a sense of isolation and social fragmentation can have real consequences for our ability to manage stress and stay healthy,” he said.
In a May 2024 report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that loneliness and social isolation put a person at risk of developing “serious” physical and mental conditions.
Such individuals are prone to a higher risk of heart disease or stroke, depression and anxiety, type 2 diabetes, dementia, suicidal tendencies and self-harm, and earlier death.
A 2023 report from the office of the U.S. Surgeon General said that loneliness raises the risk of premature death by 26%.
“More broadly, lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day,” the report said.
“In addition, poor or insufficient social connection is associated with increased risk of disease, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.”
According to the CDC, one way to tackle loneliness is for people to volunteer in their communities.
Many organizations, including faith-based groups, offer volunteer opportunities that give people a chance to contribute in ways that are meaningful to them.
