Loneliness, social isolation and risk of cardiovascular disease in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Background There is increasing evidence of an association between social relationships and morbidity in general, and cardiovascular disease in particular. However, recent syntheses of the evidence raise two important questions: is it the perceived quality or the more objective quantity of relationships that matters most; and what are the implications of changes in relationships over time? In this study, we investigate the cumulative effects of loneliness and social isolation on incident cardiovascular disease. Design A secondary analysis of prospective follow-up data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).

Loneliness as a risk factor for care home admission in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Background: loneliness has an adverse effect on health and well-being, and is common at older ages. Evidence that it is a risk factor for care home admission is sparse.

Objective: to investigate the association between loneliness and care home admission.

Older Adults' Social Relationships and Health Care Utilization: A Systematic Review.

Background: Deficiencies in older people's social relationships (including loneliness, social isolation, and low social support) have been implicated as a cause of premature mortality and increased morbidity. Whether they affect service use is unclear.

Objectives: To determine whether social relationships are associated with older adults' use of health services, independently of health-related needs.

Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies.

Background: The influence of social relationships on morbidity is widely accepted, but the size of the risk to cardiovascular health is unclear.

Objective: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between loneliness or social isolation and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.

Methods: Sixteen electronic databases were systematically searched for longitudinal studies set in high-income countries and published up until May 2015.

Loneliness, social isolation and social relationships: what are we measuring? A novel framework for classifying and comparing tools.

Objectives: We present a novel way of classifying and comparing measures of social relationships to help readers interpret the growing literature on loneliness and social isolation and to provide researchers with a starting point to guide their choice of measuring tool.

Methods: Measures of social relationships used in epidemiological studies were identified from two systematic reviews-one review on the association between social relationships and health and social care service use, and a second review on the association between social relationships and health. Questions from each measure were retrieved and tabulated to derive a classification of social relationship measures.

Socioeconomic variation in the financial consequences of ill health for older people with chronic diseases: a systematic review.

Chronic disease has financial consequences for older adults, but it is unclear how this varies between conditions with different disease trajectories. The aim of this study was to review evidence on the financial burden associated with cancer, heart failure or stroke in older people, to identify those most at risk of financial adversity. We systematically searched nine databases for studies with data on the illness-related financial burden (objective), or on the perception of financial hardship (subjective), of older patients and/or their informal caregivers in high-income countries.