Diabetes affects 589 million adults globally and significantly increases mortality risk by 1.6- to 2-fold, with an additional 1.1 billion people estimated to have early-stage glucose metabolism abnormalities [1,2], underscoring the urgent need to identify modifiable risk factors associated with mortality in individuals with diabetes and prediabetes. Social isolation refers to a lack of contacts and interactions within social network. Evidence shows that the impact of social relationships on mortality rivals that of well-known factors such as drinking and smoking, and it may even surpass other risk factors like obesity and inadequate physical activity [3].
