The Associated Press (AP) reported on Tuesday that the U.S. surgeon general stated that loneliness is as deadly as cigarettes and has cost the healthcare industry billions of dollars.
Loneliness has caused serious health risks, as nearly half of adults across the nation say they have experienced the feeling, the U.S. surgeon general said, declaring a public health epidemic.
The risks could be as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes a day, the Associated Press (AP) reported Tuesday, adding the problem has cost the health industry billions of dollars.
“Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing,” Dr. Vivek Murthy told the outlet.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Murthy said he released the Surgeon General’s Advisory on loneliness and isolation and emphasized how relationships can help.
“Research shows that loneliness and isolation are associated with a greater risk of heart disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death,” he stated:
NEW: Today, I released a Surgeon General’s Advisory on the epidemic of loneliness and isolation facing our country, the destructive impacts it has on our collective health, and the extraordinary healing power of our relationships. https://t.co/P9RnZkLr6G #Connect2Heal 1/8 pic.twitter.com/ZhaSuXTjoi
— Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) May 2, 2023
In the WHO’s first Global Report on Sodium Intake Reduction, it is revealed that salt could cause millions of deaths before 2030.