The absence of friends can be just as dangerous as smoking. Scientists have found a connection between loneliness and the level of protein coagulation that can cause a heart attack or a stroke.All of these factors, or just the stress and sadness of being alone, could drive up blood pressure and inflammation, which in turn could lead to heart disease. ... In the study, Valtorta adds that it is not possible to state that loneliness and social isolation directly increase heart disease or stroke risk.
