A lot of people are afraid of growing old alone, but there are many, too who choose to live life in solitude and are content with living just with a pet or two; if you’re one of them, think again. A study published today shows that age and living alone are two of the greatest factors that can increase a person’s health risks, particularly one’s likelihood of suffering from acute coronary syndrome, a variety of health conditions including angina, heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest resulting to death.

The researchers from Aarhus Sygehus University Hospital said the reasons behind this are not yet clear, however, it could be because of a single person’s lifestyle, which may include bad habits like smoking and eating food high in cholesterol. Moreover, old single men and women seldom go to the doctor for check-up, perhaps due to lack of encouragement from family.

In the past, older people have more tendencies to live alone, but now, more and more young people aging from 25 to 44 are living independently. Although some of them have strong support from friends and colleagues, more are having unhealthy lifestyles, which include smoking, drinking and eating unhealthy food.

By guest writer Khristine