Smoking Linked to Greater Loneliness Among Older Europeans

An analysis of more than 50,000 participants in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe found that current smokers reported higher scores on the UCLA loneliness scale than non-smokers, and that their loneliness increased more over a two-year follow-up. The average participant was about 67 years old. The results were presented by Dr Keir Philip, clinical lecturer in respiratory medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, at a respiratory conference in Barcelona.

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The research drew on longitudinal data from 15 European countries, representing a range of smoking cultures. At baseline, 22 percent of respondents were smokers and 48.5 percent reported having more than two chronic illnesses. Loneliness was measured with the self-report UCLA loneliness scale, which asks about feelings of companionship, exclusion, and isolation.

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Dr Philip emphasized that the study does not prove that smoking causes loneliness; it merely shows an association. He noted that depression, low income, and poor health could each drive both smoking and loneliness, and that unmeasured factors may underlie the relationship. Professor Des Cox, member of the European Respiratory Society’s advocacy council and clinical professor at University College Dublin, described smoking as an “important risk factor for loneliness” but cautioned against stigmatizing smokers and called for supportive cessation efforts.

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The findings suggest that clinicians and families should treat smoking and social isolation as interconnected concerns. Addressing both through combined cessation counseling and group-based social programs may be more effective than targeting either issue alone.

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State quitlines (1-800-QUIT-NOW) provide free counseling and often nicotine-replacement therapy. Medicare Part B covers up to eight counseling sessions per year for tobacco users, and most commercial insurers offer similar benefits without cost sharing. Local Area Agencies on Aging coordinate senior-center activities, transportation, and volunteer visitor services, offering additional avenues to reduce isolation regardless of smoking status.

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