OLDER people who live alone double their risk of heart disease, according to research.

The study, published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, suggests that two of the strongest indicators for acute coronary syndrome — which includes severe angina, heart attacks and sudden cardiac death — are age and living alone.

The research is based on a three-year study of more than 138,000 adults aged between 30 and 69 in one area of Denmark. Heart disease was diagnosed in 646 people during that period. Researchers established that a poor education and living on a pension were associated with an increased risk of the syndrome, but age and living alone were the main predictive factors.

Women older than 60 and men older than 50 who lived by themselves were twice as likely to develop heart disease. Researchers said, however, that smoking, obesity, high cholesterol and fewer visits to the doctor tended to be more common in those who lived alone.