Loneliness is more dangerous to our health in retirement than smoking.

Glass! Just noticed your "mental picture"!

I agree with you there Glass.

Tbh (and this is a very awful confession) I enjoy talking on GN more than I do with real life friends.

The lady who lives in the end apartment on our small development has always been invited to the parties that I organise during the summer and at Christmas time for the residents,she is always very polite when I pop into see her and invite her to join us and she always declines the invitation by saying I live alone but I am not lonely,so thanks but no thanks I will not be attending,she has said this for the past 4 yrs but I have always continued to invite her as she may change her mind,but everyone respects her decision and does not force the issue,the same lady sits outside on her patio of an evening during the summer and has a and cigarette or two enjoying her own company.

I do think loneliness can cause deep depression, but dont agree in them making the comment that its more dangerous than smoking.

Yes jess I have a mental picture of people chain smoking and thinking well its fine I have a busy social life.

Probably true for most people, but I am alone and not lonely - I wish some people could recognise the difference!
My sister, who is 75 and has a host of medical problems, manages to get out with a couple of women friends on most days - they just go to their local shopping precinct and have a coffee. She also belongs to two social groups that meet during the day - there is no public transport to her estate after 5 p.m.. Although she has two sons living close with their families, they never think to take her out, or even for a weekly shopping trip. I think her socialising helps to keep her cheerful and stops her sinking into depression.
So, I repeat my opening sentence - this is probably true for most people.

Ultimately this "research" is not based on any experiments. There is no way of knowing whether the isolation causes the increased mortality or whether those least likely to live a long time are having less active lives than those that are fair set for a few more decades.
And you cannot even get animal evidence to back it up.
The evidence that smoking is directly causal in all kinds of diseases is overwhelming.
It is a very dangerous comparison to make. Smokers will merrily convince themselves that if they have an actual social life it will insulate them from the destructive effects of smoking.