Living Alone Linked to Increased Risk for Death From Multiple Causes

FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Living alone is associated with an increased risk for death from multiple causes, especially among adults aged 18 to 64 years, according to a study published online Oct. 27 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.Hyunjung Lee, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined associations between living alone and cause-specific mortality using data for 598,023 U.S. adults from the 1998 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey-National Death Index.The researchers found that compared with adults living with others, adults living alone aged 18 to 64 and 65 years or older had increased mortality risk from all causes combined (hazard ratios, 1.22 and 1.06), heart disease (hazard ratios, 1.41 and 1.11), suicide (hazard ratios, 1.58 and 2.03), and all injuries (hazard ratios, 1.27 and 1.16, respectively). In those aged 18 to 64 years, living alone was also associated with a higher risk for mortality from cerebrovascular disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes, and accidents (hazard ratios, 1.23, 1.27, 1.34, and 1.17, respectively), while those aged 65 years or older had a higher risk from hypertension (hazard ratio, 1.28). Overall, 57.1 and 85.4 percent of the all-cause mortality difference by living arrangement in those aged 18 to 64 and 65 years or older, respectively, was due to sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, with some variations in contributing characteristics across causes of death."Policy and clinical practice efforts are needed to identify modifiable risk factors that contribute to this higher risk of death among those living alone, including chronic disease management, injury prevention, improved access to preventive care, and screening for mental health conditions," Lee said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Living Alone Linked to Increased Risk for Death From Multiple Causes

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