Lonely hearts’ club

FEELING lonely and a sense of isolation have been linked to an increased risk of heart problems in older people.

Australian researchers studied the connection between social health and the 12 risk factors that contribute to heart disease before determining who was most at risk.

Study authors found those with good social health were also less likely to have multiple risk factors for heart disease.

This meant they had a reduced risk of having a heart attack or stroke within the next decade.

More physically active participants were also less likely to have depression.