Has it been a while since you’ve seen your mom? A 2012 study reports that you should invite her over for dinner soon.
Spending time with her can actually increase her life expectancy! The study concluded that loneliness is a significant factor in the decline of quality of life in older adults, including the risk of depression, cognitive impairment and health problems like coronary artery disease — and it may even lead to an earlier death.
Specifically, the study looked at 1,600 adults with an average age of 71.
Researchers found that 23 percent of participants who reported being lonely died within six years of the study, while only 14 percent of those who reported having companionship died during the same six-year period.
The results, which were published in the JAMA Internal Medicine, remained consistent even after controlling for health and socioeconomic status.
