RT Journal
A1 Covinsky KE
T1 The differential diagnosis of living alone: Comment on “living alone and risk of mortality in older, community-dwelling adults”
JF JAMA Internal Medicine
JO JAMA Internal Medicine
YR 2013
FD February 25
VO 173
IS 4
SP 321
OP 321
DO 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.1617
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.1617
AB 
It is interesting, but perhaps not surprising, that living alone seems to be a stronger predictor of mortality in younger persons than older persons. In older persons, living alone may be a proxy for very different phenomena that have opposing impacts on mortality. On the one hand, persons who live alone are more likely to have limited social support, and limited social support increases the risk for mortality. On the other hand, an older person who lives alone is more likely to have good functional status, particularly independence in the basic activities of daily living that are required to live without assistance. Functional independence is a powerful predictor of survival in older persons. In epidemiologic studies, these 2 factors may cancel each other out, leading to a null impact on mortality.