When we think about loneliness, we don’t associate it with risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. But a growing body of research shows that loneliness significantly impairs physical and mental health. Loneliness is linked to a 29 percent higher risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke, accelerated cognitive decline, and increased mortality. Chronic, profound loneliness triggers high inflammation, weakens the immune system, and contributes to depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
Clinician researcher Alison Warren, DAOM, MSHS ’17, PhD student, of the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, gave a wellness talk on loneliness, how it impacts overall health, and ways to counteract it. An adjunct assistant professor in the SMHS, she specializes in the intersection of Integrative Medicine, neuroscience, and psychology. She is also an adjunct assistant professor in the Institute for Brain Health & Dementia in the GW Milken School of Public Health, an affiliated researcher and member of GW's Frame-Corr Lab, and an instructor with the Harvard Extension School.
Dr. Warren’s research, particularly in 2025-2026, focuses on loneliness as a significant, modifiable determinant of health and a driver of physiological damage. Her work explains that chronic social disconnection causes wear and tear across multiple systems, including immune, neuroendocrine, and cardiovascular systems.
She advocates for "Loneliness as a Vital Sign," suggesting it should be treated as a major health risk factor rather than just a fleeting emotion. Her work supports incorporating screening and evidence-based interventions into primary care—such as social prescribing, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness-based approaches.
Emerging research from Dr. Warren’s work highlights that loneliness may have a stronger impact on cognitive aging in women compared to men, often tied to social roles like caregiving and differences in stress response.
Related Links
Watch Dr. Warren's lecture on YouTube
Dr. Warren’s slide presentation
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s How Right Now (information and resources on loneliness and other emotions)
NIH Social Connection Toolkit
GW Resiliency & Well-being Center’s resources page on loneliness
Sources
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation 2023, The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
Warren, A. (2026). Loneliness as a sex-specific risk factor for cognitive aging. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 20, 1784613.
Warren, A. (2026). Loneliness as a Vital Sign: Toward a Biopsychosocial Reframing of Social Disconnection. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17, 21501319261426724.
Warren, A., Wynia, Z., Corr, P. G., Devin, M. F., Celikkol, Z., Gordon, L., Farah, M., Karam, M., Villarreal, D., Jackson, S. A., & Frame, L. A. (2026). The microbiota–gut–brain axis in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: A scoping review of human studies. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 22(1), e71023.
Warren, A. (2025). Loneliness as a driver of allostatic load: Mechanisms linking social disconnection to physiological dysregulation and health disparities. Stress, 28(1), 2594067.