The expression "Dying of a lonely heart" is often referred to in music and prose, but the validity of such a statement has mainly been the provenance of anecdote and speculation.

That is gradually changing as an increasing body of scientific evidence points to the influence that our social circumstances can have on our health. Case in point: A recent study has found that women whose living circumstances are marked by an absence of social ties have a greater likelihood of developing key markers for heart disease when compared to women who live with stronger social ties.

The findings are the result of a study that followed nearly 3,000 men and women between the ages of 32 and 50. The subjects lived in urban areas in four states in the United States and were surveyed on their perception of neighborhood cohesion as an indicator of how well neighbors got along and trusted one another. Other factors included in the assessments were Census data on income, education, and occupational levels.

What the researchers found was that women who lived in neighborhoods that did not have a prevalence of social ties had a greater likelihood of coronary artery calcification (CAC), which is a key marker for heart disease. When the women resided in the most economically deprived areas, their risk for CAC more than doubled.

The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, is the first of its kind to examine CAC in relation to the socioeconomic status and social cohesiveness of a person's surroundings. Social cohesion is defined as having a strong and trusting living environment between neighbors. The existence of strong social cohesion is believed to lower a person's stress and reduce the incidence of depression.

Some of the benefits of a positive living environment include sharing as well as encouraging strong community ties that foster healthier living circumstances and lifestyle habits. Conversely, weak social cohesion is associated with negative health consequences for women in both rich and poor neighborhoods.

The effects of community were not as strong for men as they were for women. This may be due to the fact that women often play a greater domestic role in caring for children and maintaining the household. This would predispose them to spend more time at home, thus exposing them to a greater degree to neighborhood influences.

The authors of the study note that if a community is less than ideal, intervention strategies and policies might be employed to improve neighborhood social conditions and thereby reduce the health impact of this living environment