Getting older and living alone can add up to a two-fold increase in heart disease and related death, says a new study published today. A Danish study of 138,000 people found that men and women over age 50 and 60 who lived alone were not only more prone to heart disease, but were also more likely to die within a month after being diagnosed or suffering a heart attack. Conversely, aging men and women who lived with a partner, and in some cases still working, had the lowest occurrence of heart disease.

Though the link between loneliness and heart disease was unclear, researchers theorize that the increased risk was connected to lifestyle habits associated with living alone. Primarily, lack of family support, an ambivalent attitude toward doctor visits, smoking, high cholesterol and obesity were the main attributes of single living. Those who live alone are encouraged to seek out more frequent heart disease screening, as they are in a much higher risk group.