1 in 6 adults plagued by loneliness as researchers reveal lasting impact of COVID pandemic

A study of over 135,000 adults found that a surprising number of individuals feel lonely often — and that some of the loneliest people live in urban areas, shocking the researchers. Not only that — but the COVID pandemic made it worse. 

Professors at Imperial College London conducted the study. They recruited a total of 135,725 volunteers aged 16 and older to complete an online survey in England throughout a five-month period in 2023.

Almost one in six adults reported feeling lonely "often or always" — and more than one in five people frequently felt a lack of companionship or had feelings of being left out or isolated, news agency SWNS reported.

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The findings of the study, called INTERACT, surprised those involved.

When the researchers dug deeper into the data, they found that some of the loneliest people were clustered in urban environments and cities, including London, Birmingham and Manchester.

Austen El-Osta, Ph.D., public health researcher and study lead for INTERACT, said, "The key message is not simply that many people feel lonely, but that loneliness is strongly influenced by people’s surroundings, social network and their environment."

This reflected the "urban paradox" theory, the study said — where those in major cities that offer greater economic, cultural and social advantages often report lower life satisfaction, connectivity and happiness, compared to people in rural areas.

The team also found a significant lasting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly 44% of respondents said the pandemic increased their feelings of loneliness — while 48.2% reported increased feelings of isolation.

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Senior author of the study, Dr. Azeem Majeed of the National Health Service, said, "As an NHS GP, I see how loneliness affects both the mental and physical health of my patients. It contributes to problems such as anxiety and depression, increases the risk of long-term conditions, and often leads to more frequent GP consultations."

He said that "by strengthening community connections and social capital, we can help prevent loneliness and enable people to live healthier, happier and more connected lives."

Whether people were in relationships or not didn’t seem to impact their loneliness levels.

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The research found that 45% of respondents were married or in a civil partnership — while almost 20% were single.

El-Osta said, "Loneliness is often treated as a private experience, but our findings reinforce that it is also a public health and community issue."

He added that "public health responses need to look beyond individual resilience and consider the environments, services and community assets that help people feel connected, supported and able to participate."

The team believes that this is "one of the world’s largest dedicated studies of loneliness and the largest of its kind conducted in a single country," according to Imperial College London. 

The group also cautioned that while the findings offer an important snapshot, "the study cannot be used to estimate the scale of the problem at the population level."

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In addition, the researchers noted several limitations of their study, including that it overrepresented highly educated individuals and underrepresented minority ethnic groups. 

They also highlighted the "inherent self-selection bias of this type of online survey, where those more interested or affected by an issue are more likely to take part." 

Recently, another study found that feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults' memory — though it may not speed up cognitive decline.

Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries. 

They found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published in the spring in the journal Aging & Mental Health.

The researchers also suggested that screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.

Deirdre Bardolf of Fox News Digital contributed reporting. 

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Nearly 1 in 3 married Americans aren't having sex — expert reveals how to bring back the spark

Physical intimacy isn’t a regular occurrence for every married couple in America, research suggests.

Recent data from the General Social Survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, shows that 32.5% of married adult respondents said they have not had sex "at all" during the last 12 months. Just 4.1% reported that they have sex more than three times a week.

Dr. Anna Elton, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical sexologist in Massachusetts, told Fox News Digital that although sexual frequency varies by couple, the national standard is about once a week. The expert defined a "sexless marriage" as being physically intimate 10 or fewer times per year.

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Decline in intimacy can be caused by a variety of factors, from juggling busy families to hormone imbalances, she noted. In most cases, however, the original relationship spark has faded.

Elton, author of the book "The Formula of Desire," shared some tips and exercises for livening up a relationship, with the goal of reigniting intimacy in the bedroom.

For couples who may be struggling with their marriage or sex life, Elton suggested that the first step should be to focus on what is going well.

"If there are too many resentments built up, the wall is too high," she said. "And then partners can't just be intimate. They need to start with emotional connection."

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For one week, Elton recommended focusing on the positive aspects of the relationship, making mental notes and sharing them with your partner. This exercise can "shift the whole relationship," she said.

"A lot of conversations in long-term relationships end up being just logistics," she said. "So, think about [avoiding] the neutral conversations or negative conversations."

In her own practice, Elton said she’s seen many women who lack any desire to be intimate due to stress and a lost connection to their partner.

"When they started checking in, expressing gratitude, it actually shifted the climate of the relationship," she said.

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"You need to find time, you need to be intentional, because unfortunately, we always find time to be on our phones, to play little games, to scroll on social media, but we don't find time to be with our partners."

Choosing one night as a "tech-free" night can be a great way to re-connect with your partner, Elton recommended.

Couples struggling with intimacy often have one thing in common, according to Elton’s experience with clients.

When they were asked what they had at the beginning of their relationship that was now missing, the answer was unanimous: fun.

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"If we don't have fun, what's the point?" Elton asked. "We need to bring fun back into the relationship."

The sexologist recommended another exercise — A-to-Z date nights, where couples choose an activity that starts with a different letter of the alphabet for each date.

For example, the letter A might be axe-throwing or an art gallery, while B could be bowling or the beach.

"M is my favorite – movie and massage," Elton said. "My husband picks a movie; I get a massage. I pick a movie and still get a massage ... This definitely helps to bring back that connection, and also novelty brings desire back to couples."

With fun comes flirting, Elton added, which typically fades as a relationship ages.

"When couples have been together for a long time, I ask them, ‘So, how do you flirt with your partner? How do you let them know about your erotic intentions?’ And they say, ‘Oh, we don’t flirt.’"

Oftentimes, an attempt at flirting gets lost in translation, the expert noted, so creating a "new language of flirting" can help spice up the relationship and spark moments of intimacy.

A lack of self-desire as people age can also get in the way of accepting advances for intimacy from partners.

"With women, [with] changing bodies and aging and stress, sometimes we don't feel our best and we may think, ‘I don't know why my partner wants me. I don't want myself,’" Elton said.

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The expert shared small steps that can help produce the love and bonding hormone oxytocin, boosting connection both personally and between partners.

This includes intimate physical contact with your partner, such as a 20-second hug or a six-second kiss. 

Similarly, small acts of self-care, such as applying lotion or following a skincare routine, can help people "feel more connected with themselves," according to Elton.

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Everyday habit linked to dramatically lower risk of dying from heart disease

A simple daily habit may be linked to a dramatically lower risk of premature death, particularly from heart disease — no gym membership required.

People who climbed stairs had a 39% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause than those who didn’t, according to an analysis led by researchers at the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

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People who climbed the stairs were less likely to develop major cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure, UEA further reported.

"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide — with cases nearly doubling between 1990 and 2019," Vassilios Vassiliou, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said in a news release.

After reviewing nearly 1,900 studies, the researchers analyzed data from more than 480,000 people across nine studies, which had a median follow-up period of 14 years. The participants included healthy people and those with a history of heart problems, between the ages of 35 and 84.

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The findings show an association between stair climbing and lower mortality risk, but do not prove that taking the stairs directly causes people to live longer.

Stair climbing is a simple but powerful form of exercise because it requires the body to repeatedly work against gravity. The generally low-impact activity engages multiple muscle groups while providing both cardiovascular and strength-building benefits.

One large study included in the analysis suggested that climbing about six flights of stairs per day may offer the greatest benefit, though researchers said more work is needed to determine the optimal amount.

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"Some of the studies we looked at showed that the more stairs climbed, the greater the health benefits," said UEA’s Norwich Medical School researcher Sophie Paddock. "But even small changes had a measurable impact."

According to Vassiliou, more than a quarter of adults worldwide fail to meet recommended activity levels. A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, poor dietary habits and obesity all contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Climbing stairs is a cost-free form of exercise people can fit into their day at home, work and in public places and is a good option for people who don't have much time or easy access to exercise, the researchers said.

"Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines," Paddock said.

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The researchers cautioned that stair climbing may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly people with mobility issues or joint conditions.

They published their findings in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs.

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Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt reveals why she lifts heavy weights — and doesn’t count calories

Kansas City Chiefs heiress Gracie Hunt recently opened up about her health philosophy on "The Riley Gaines Show," revealing that heavy strength training and a simple approach to nutrition keep her energized and confident.

Speaking on a recent episode of the podcast, the former Miss Kansas USA and marathon runner dispelled misconceptions around women's fitness — specifically the belief that lifting heavy weights leads to a bulky physique.

"There's so much misconception out there that if you lift weights, you're going to be bulky and big," Hunt told host and women's sports advocate Riley Gaines. "That is not how it works."

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Hunt said that over the past three years, her routine has changed significantly, as she stepped back from long-distance running to focus more on heavy strength training.

"When you have enough muscle, you can sustain a healthy diet with lots of variety," the former pageant queen noted, adding that building muscle eliminates the need to track every calorie or macronutrient.

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Instead of relying on meal tracking, Hunt said she applies a sort of litmus test to determine whether a food fits into her clean-eating lifestyle.

"If I was a farmer, could I grow this or make this?" she asks herself. "If I don't know how to make it, maybe I shouldn't eat it."

Hunt's passion for physical fitness began early in life, she told Gaines. Originally, she planned to go into competitive soccer, but her athletic trajectory changed after she suffered multiple concussions. The injuries forced her to pivot away from soccer into pageantry, marathons and strength training.

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Reflecting on her shift away from competitive team sports, the football heiress emphasized how physical activity shaped her self-image and mental resilience.

"Sports empower women," Hunt said. "They teach you how to be healthy and also to not attach health and wellness to how you look and to vanity. It's more about, 'Am I healthy? How can I perform?'"

She said she believes that physical strength fosters body confidence, regardless of societal standards.

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"I'm strong. So even if I don't look like what society idolizes as beauty, I'm confident in my skin because I know I'm strong."

For women seeking a healthy, strength-focused routine, Hunt recommends building workouts around consistent weightlifting, balanced with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and a favorite form of cardio, whether that's hiking, walking or trail running.

Above all, physical fitness should be viewed as a long-term lifestyle aimed at overall well-being, not just a quick goal to hit, according to Hunt.

"Fitness isn't about reaching a certain aesthetic and calling it a day — it's about pursuing a life where you can be your best for everyone else around you," she said. "Find something that you love and can do for life."

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Alzheimer's risk may be 35% lower with common menopause treatment, study finds

Women who used estrogen-only menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s-related brain changes or dementia, according to a large Stanford study published Aug. 12 in Neurology.

The researchers analyzed post-mortem data from 21,462 participants, comparing 258 women who reported estrogen-only MHT use with approximately 2,701 women who reported no MHT use.

The researchers examined the brains for signs of Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid-plaque density. Plaques and tangles are two hallmark brain changes associated with the common dementia.

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The women who took estrogen-only therapy — most of whom had likely undergone hysterectomies — were found to have a 35% lower chance of Alzheimer’s pathology and 39% lower odds of dementia over a lifetime.

Among some living participants, estrogen-only users also performed better on memory testing and were better able to function independently, the study found. Biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid supported these results.

The participants averaged 70 years of age.

Recent research indicates that menopausal hormone therapy may offer greater benefits when started during or shortly after menopause, the researchers noted.

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Because the women in the study were generally older when they began treatment, the results may actually understate the potential benefits of earlier therapy.

These findings appear to contradict prior studies that linked menopausal hormone therapy to increased dementia risk.

"Estrogen has well-described neuroprotective effects in animal models," co-author Jennifer Bruno, PhD, an instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences, told Fox News Digital.

"Estrogen plays a role in shifting amyloid toward the non-amyloidogenic pathway and promoting tau dephosphorylation — both amyloid and tau are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease."

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"Additionally, estrogen supports synaptic plasticity, reduces neuroinflammation and supports blood brain barrier integrity. So, finding less AD pathology in estrogen-only users was consistent with this mechanism."

Memory can be impacted by many different conditions, which means clinical diagnoses can sometimes be unreliable, the researchers noted.

"Although there’s been great progress with bloodborne and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, they don’t tell you the amount and precise location of the brain damage," said senior author Hadi Hosseini, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford.

"By looking where the actual damage is done — the brain — you can see where the Alzheimer’s-associated defining features are and how many of them are there."

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The study did have some limitations, according to the researchers. As it was observational, it could only show an association but could prove that the hormone therapy reduced Alzheimer’s risk.

"It’s possible that women who used hormone therapy differed from non-users in ways we couldn't fully measure, such as baseline health status or engagement with healthcare," Hosseini told Fox News Digital. "We worked hard to adjust for known confounders and to account for who does and doesn't come to autopsy, but observational data can only take you so far."

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Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia among older adults, with women comprising about two-thirds of diagnoses.

While the study findings don’t change current clinical recommendations, Hosseini said they highlight the need for well-designed clinical trials to confirm these observations and to determine whether menopausal hormone therapy has a protective cognitive effect.

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"These results add meaningful, first-of-their-kind pathological evidence to a genuinely controversial area — but they are a signal for further study, not a reason to start or stop MHT for brain health," Bruno added.

"We need prospective, biomarker-based trials that follow women before, during and after menopause to understand the effects of MHT on brain health."

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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When is a mental health crisis too severe for telehealth? Warning signs families shouldn't ignore

As the Lindsay Clancy murder trial spotlights the psychiatric care she received before the killings of her three children, the case has raised broader questions about the growing reliance on telehealth for mental health conditions.

Nearly half (48.3%) of American adults with serious mental illness now receive some type of mental health treatment via telehealth, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Clancy reportedly had 14 virtual visits with her primary psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, over a five-month period, from September 2022 through Jan. 23, 2023, according to testimony reported by The Associated Press. The final appointment was on Jan. 23, the day before the killings. The two never met in person.

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During cross-examination, Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, questioned Tufts about her reliance on virtual appointments, per AP.

"Did you ever suggest to her that 'maybe you should come in and see me, rather than on the computer?'" Reddington asked.

"Talking to her over the video didn't seem like an issue," Tufts responded. "It didn't seem like there was something I was missing."

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Jonathan Alpert, Ph.D., a New York psychotherapist — who was not involved in Clancy's care and was speaking generally about telehealth rather than the specifics of her treatment — said virtual care can work very well, but that "there comes a point where a screen may not be enough."

"If someone is becoming suicidal, psychotic, manic, unstable or unable to function, the clinician has to consider whether that person needs to be seen in person or needs a higher level of care," Alpert, author of "Therapy Nation: How America Got Hooked on Therapy and Why It's Left Us More Anxious and Divided," told Fox News Digital.

"The priority has to be getting an accurate picture of what’s going on and keeping the patient safe."

Telehealth plays an important function in mental healthcare and offers many benefits, Alpert noted.

"As a provider, I can see far more people in a day doing virtual therapy than I could if I were doing in-office treatment," he told Fox News Digital.

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For the patient, it eliminates the commute to the therapist's office, which could be a limitation for those with busy schedules.

"So it does allow more and better access to care in many cases, but it does have its limitations if someone has a severe psychiatric disorder," Alpert said.

There are certain things about a patient’s appearance — such as hygiene, movements, agitation, intoxication or general behavior — that aren't as obvious on Zoom, he noted.

"Someone can pull themselves together for an appointment and look relatively fine for 30 minutes even though they're falling apart outside of it," he said.

If the patient keeps getting worse despite frequent appointments, that's a big warning sign, according to Alpert.

"More appointments aren't necessarily more treatment," he told Fox News Digital. "If someone is becoming more suicidal, paranoid, manic, disorganized, aggressive or simply unable to function, you can't just keep scheduling another video call and assume that's enough."

"At some point, the treatment plan has to change, whether that means seeing the person in person, getting an emergency evaluation or moving them to a higher level of care."

In cases where there is any concern about suicide or violence, Alpert said it’s important for the therapist to be direct and to ask the following questions.

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"If someone says they just want to die, that's one thing, and it's very concerning, but if they have a plan, say a weapon or pills, that brings it to the next level and would certainly warrant intervention, whether it's through the police or emergency services," he said.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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It’s also important for the therapist to know where the patient is located during the appointment so that if there is an emergency, they can take action, Alpert advised.

"And sometimes you need information from family or other people in the patient's life, because the patient may not be giving you the whole picture."

The expert also emphasized the distinction between postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis.

"With postpartum psychosis … there may be delusions, disorganized thinking, hallucinations — and if that's what's going on, that definitely warrants inpatient treatment."

Overall, Alpert said, telehealth itself is not the problem.

"It's helped a lot of people get care who otherwise might not," he said. "The bigger issue is whether the clinician is doing a thorough assessment and whether the level of care still fits the patient's condition."

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A good clinician can identify serious risk over video, he noted — but at the same time, someone can miss serious risk sitting across from a patient in an office.

"The sicker and more unstable someone becomes, the less comfortable I'd be relying exclusively on a screen," he added.

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Beer, wine or liquor? Massive study reveals which was linked to lower death risk

Heavy drinking has been shown to raise mortality risk, but, at lower levels, what’s in your glass may also matter, a new study suggests.

In recent research of data from 340,924 participants in the UK Biobank, wine was linked to lower mortality, while beer and spirits were tied to higher death risk.

Data were collected between 2006 and 2022, with more than 13 years of average follow-up. The findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans.

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In the study, participants reported their alcohol intake as never/occasional, low, moderate or high.

High consumption was defined as more than 40 grams per day for men (about three standard drinks) and more than 20 grams per day for women (about 1.4 standard drinks).

Participants with high alcohol consumption had a 24% higher risk of all-cause death, 36% higher risk of cancer death and 14% higher risk of cardiovascular death when compared to people who never or occasionally drank, according to the study findings.

With low or moderate alcohol consumption, however, the mortality risk appeared to differ according to the type of beverage.

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Spirits, beer and cider were associated with significantly higher mortality, the researchers found, while the same amount of wine intake was linked to significantly lower mortality. Moderate wine drinkers had a 21% lower risk of cardiovascular death than those who never or occasionally drank.

Conversely, those who drank low amounts of spirits, beer or cider were found to have a 9% higher risk of cardiovascular death.

"These results come from the general population, and in certain high-risk groups, such as people with chronic diseases or cardiovascular conditions, the risks could be even higher," Dr. Zhangling Chen, a professor at the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University in China and the study's senior author, said in a press release.

"These findings can help refine guidance, emphasizing that the health risks of alcohol depend not only on the amount of alcohol consumed but also on the type of beverage."

One potential reason for wine’s lower mortality association could be that it contains compounds such as polyphenols and antioxidants, which could have beneficial effects on blood vessels, inflammation and cardiovascular health, the researchers noted.

Jessica Steinman, a Los Angeles addiction specialist and chief clinical officer for No Matter What Recovery, said the study’s information is "helpful" but cautioned against broadly applying the findings to individuals, particularly those with a history of substance misuse.

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While certain ingredients or substances might help someone with a specific issue, she expressed her concern when it comes to mental health issues and addiction.

"When we hear these stories or get this research, it becomes a ‘black and white’ larger generalization for the population, and we want to be careful with that," Steinman, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.

"Not everybody should have daily consumption of an alcoholic substance, whether it's wine, beer or certain liquors. … If there's someone who’s struggling with substances, then they really shouldn't be having it at all."

Different substances have different levels of alcohol in them, and each person metabolizes alcohol uniquely, the expert noted.

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"All those kinds of things are so specific to one person or a small sect of people," she said. "So, we want to make sure anytime there's research given about something, that we're not taking it as a society and saying, ‘Let's do this,’ and not keeping it as black and white.

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"Overall, more is not better, but also the higher potency of alcohol and higher percentages of alcohol is going to affect people negatively as well."

Steinman recommended consulting with a medical professional for individual guidance.

The researchers acknowledged some limitations of the study. Because it was observational in design, the study could not prove that drinking wine led to lower mortality or that other alcoholic beverages directly caused higher mortality.

Also, the participants reported their baseline alcohol intake at the start of the study, which means any changes in drinking patterns during the follow-up period were not recorded.

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There was also the chance that wine drinkers may have different dietary or other lifestyle habits that could affect their health outcomes, the researchers noted.

The UK Biobank participants also tend to be healthier than the overall population, which could limit the ability for the finding to be generalized to wider populations.

The authors called for high-quality randomized studies to confirm the differences in how drinking habits reflect mortality risk.

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