Coronary Artery Disease and Loneliness: A Cross-Sectional Analysis using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale

Abstract

Background

Loneliness has been identified as an important psychosocial factor associated with cardiovascular disease, but the relationship has been underexplored using validated measures.

Materials and Methods

This cross-sectional study analyzed 92 patients from 2018 to 2019 using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale to evaluate associations between loneliness and coronary artery disease (CAD). Statistical analysis was performed using R v4.4.0. A multivariate logistic regression model assessed the relationship between loneliness scores and CAD, adjusting for age and race/ethnicity. A one-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test compared loneliness scores between CAD and non-CAD patients.

Results

Age was significantly associated with CAD (odds ratio [OR]: 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.08, p = 0.0084), whereas loneliness score showed a trend toward significance (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.99–1.07, p = 0.140). No significant associations were found between race/ethnicity or sex and loneliness. In a subgroup analysis of patients ≥ 55 years, loneliness was significantly associated with CAD (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.00–1.12, p = 0.04), whereas age was not (p = 0.378). Patients aged ≥ 55 years with CAD had significantly higher loneliness scores than those without CAD (p = 0.044), whereas no significant difference was observed in patients < 55 years (p = 0.87).

Conclusion

While loneliness was not independently associated with CAD in the overall cohort, it was significantly associated with CAD in patients aged ≥ 55 years. This suggests that loneliness may be a relevant factor in cardiovascular health among older adults. This emphasizes the need for health care providers to consider loneliness as a potential risk factor for CAD, alongside traditional risk factors.

Keywords

loneliness - coronary artery disease - risk factors - Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale

Ethical Approval

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Nassau University Medical Center (IRB# 18-186).

Patients' Consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to enrollment, ensuring adherence to ethical guidelines for human research.

Publication History

Article published online:
09 April 2025

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