Individuals who live alone are at a substantially higher risk of dying from alcohol-related causes, according to a new study published in the journal PLoS Medicine.
Researchers in Helsinki looked at the records of 18,200 Finnish people who had died as a result of alcohol – whether due to alcohol poisoning, accidents or alcohol-related violence – between 2000 and 2007.
They found that men who lived alone were 3.7 times more likely to die of liver disease between 2000 and 2003. After 2004 – when the price of alcohol dropped in Finland – the risk increased to five times that of men who were married or living with someone else. Women living alone also had an increased risk of alcohol-related death, although this risk was smaller.
"Living alone is associated with a substantially increased risk of alcohol-related mortality, irrespective of gender, socioeconomic status, or the specific cause of death," concluded the researchers.
Further studies are now needed to see if the results hold true for other countries where the culture around drinking may be different.