Loneliness and isolation can lead to a stroke or a heart disease as much as anxiety and a stressful job, a recent research conducted by researchers from the University of York revealed.

Obesity and inactivity are known to reduce the lifespan, but loneliness and isolation are often not thought of to have such dramatic impact on an individual's health.

The latest study conducted by Dr. Nicole Valtorta at the Depratment of Health Sciences at the Univeristy of York, UK, proves this wrong.

According to the study that examined 181,000 individuals, loneliness increases the risk of coronary heart diseases by 29% and the risk of a stroke by 32%.

The study shows that the impact of isolation and loneliness on an individual's health is comparable to smoking or obesity.