Loneliness as a risk factor for metabolic syndrome: results from the HUNT study

Objective Metabolic syndrome (MetS) includes hyperglycaemia, hypertension, central adiposity, elevated triglyceride levels and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. All factors are identified as risk factors for cardiovascular disease and mortality. This longitudinal study examined whether loneliness, which has been shown to predict a range of negative health outcomes, increases the risk for MetS. Methods We used data from ‘the...