We hear it all the time on the News: heart disease, no obesity, or wait, smoking is the leading cause of death among middle-aged men. But, according to a new study whose results were published in an article in The Boston Globe, middle-aged men have a bigger chance of dying early from loneliness than anything else.

It's a shocking and disturbing claim. Think about the last time you hung out with friends, or how often you even have the opportunity to do so. Many of us in middle-age are so bogged down with work, running a household, and/or raising kids that we rarely have social time, and when we do, we typically, hopefully, spend it reconnecting with our significant other.

While both sexes juggle busy schedules, women have always been predisposed to be more social than men. And it is this lack of social pre-disposition that puts more men at risk.

According to the article "loneliness has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke and the progression of Alzheimer’s. One study found that it can be as much of a long-term risk factor as smoking.

"The research doesn’t get any rosier from there. In 2015, a huge study out of Brigham Young University, using data from 3.5 million people collected over 35 years, found that those who fall into the categories of loneliness, isolation, or even simply living on their own see their risk of premature death rise 26 to 32 percent."

Take the time to read the article, then pick up the phone and get together with a friend.

- Craig

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