Social isolation in older adults linked to higher diabetes risk

Socially isolated older adults are at increased risk of developing diabetes and high blood sugar, according to a study being presented Sunday at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

Social isolation and loneliness have been increasingly recognized as important health risk factors after the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings underscore the importance for clinicians to recognize social isolation as a critical social determinant of health when caring for older patients. These findings are especially relevant given the rapidly growing aging population in the United States and globally, alongside the widespread prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among older adults."

Samiya Khan, M.D., lead researcher of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif.

Khan noted that while a few previous studies have explored the connection between social isolation and diabetes, this study is among the first to examine its link to poor glycemic control using a nationally representative sample-data that reflects the broader U.S. population. This makes the findings applicable on a national scale.

Khan and her team analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003-2008. NHANES is a comprehensive survey program designed to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the U.S.

The researchers studied data from 3,833 adults aged 60 to 84, representing about 38 million older people in the U.S. After adjusting for other factors, they found that socially isolated older adults were 34% more likely to have diabetes and 75% more likely to have poor blood sugar control than those who were not isolated. This suggests that social isolation may be an important but often overlooked risk factor for diabetes and poor blood sugar management in older adults.

"These findings underscore the importance of social connections for the wellbeing of older adults," Khan said. "Physicians should recognize social isolation as a potential risk factor among elderly patients for both diabetes and high blood sugar."