Lone dangers: the physical toll of social isolation

Loneliness and social isolation are connected to around 100 deaths every hour, according to the World Health Organisation. Feeling lonely has been linked to cardiovascular disease, neurological conditions and problems with the immune system. Developing better social connections could improve millions of peoples’ health, but doing so is not as simple as it sounds.

Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Guests: The Economist’s Ainslie Johnstone; Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University. Thanks to Patrick Abrahams, Helen Kingston and Caroline Blake in Frome, England. 

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