Loneliness has been linked to premature death, but a new study questions that. Researchers in Canada, Finland and New Zealand surveyed the health of more than a quarter of a million home care recipients. They noted that loneliness is common as we age. The study took into consideration various health conditions and found those who were otherwise healthy, did not face an increased risk of death just from loneliness. Nonetheless, the study concludes loneliness is a serious threat to our emotional wellbeing and mental health consequences of loneliness should be an important priority for public health and needs further study, even if loneliness doesn’t kill you. The study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.