Loneliness and Risk of 30-Day Hospital Readmission After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Bibliographic Data

ID9104234
AuthorsCheyenne Acker (0000-0003-1601-0636, Cornell University, corresponding author), Orysya Soroka (0000-0003-3282-2378, Cornell University), Madeline R Sterling (0000-0002-9928-4407, Cornell University), Parag Goyal (0000-0001-7474-3737, Cornell University), Monika M Safford (0000-0002-3060-0563, Cornell University), Laura C Pinheiro (0000-0002-6920-8526, Cornell University)
Year2025
Volume63
Issue12
Pages907-915
Publication date2025-12-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Care (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/mlr.0000000000002217
PMID40971549
OpenAlexW4414347506
LanguageEN
References cited45

BACKGROUND: Poor social health is linked to incident cardiovascular disease, but less is known about how loneliness affects health care utilization after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). OBJECTIVE: Determine the association between loneliness and 30-day emergency department (ED) visit or readmission after AMI hospitalization. RESEARCH DESIGN: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study is a national prospective cohort of 30,239 U.S. adults aged 45 years or older. MEASURES: We examined the association between loneliness and 30-day post-AMI ED visit or readmission. SUBJECTS: Seven hundred forty-nine Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in REGARDS were discharged alive after an adjudicated AMI. RESULTS: The mean age was 77 years. Twenty-eight percent self-identified as non-Hispanic Black and 39% as women. Twenty percent reported loneliness. Twenty-nine percent had a 30-day ED visit or readmission. Lonely individuals had 61% increased risk of 30-day ED visit or readmission (RR: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.27-2.04; P <0.001), which remained significant after adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical factors (aRR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.12-1.95; P =0.006). Stratified analyses demonstrated significant association for those aged 65-74 (aRR 2.48; 95% CI, 1.57-3.91; P <0.001), White adults (aRR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.35-2.58; P <0.001), and men (aRR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.59-3.01; P <0.001) but not for those 75+ (aRR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.63-1.40; P =0.75), Black adults (aRR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.53-1.49; P =0.660), or women (aRR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.51-1.30; P =0.380). CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness, even measured years before AMI, was associated with an increased risk of 30-day ED visit or readmission, specifically for those aged 65-74, White participants, and men. These findings may inform discharge strategies to reduce readmissions

Hospital discharge · Hospital readmission · Loneliness · MEDLINE · Myocardial infarction · Patient discharge · Cardiac Health and Mental Health · Chronic Disease Management Strategies · Health disparities and outcomes

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