Nearly 3 in 5 U.S. Adults are lonely – and it could be one of the biggest under-the-radar issues the economy is facing

In an op-ed published in Fortune, Pyx Health CEO and Co-Founder, Cindy Jordan, discusses how chronic loneliness rewires our brains, produces harmful inflammation, and fuels nearly every dangerous disease in the book.

Millions of Americans are suffering from a deadly, expensive health issue–one for which we have no vaccine, immunity, or quick cure. It’s loneliness –and it quietly permeates every level of our society. Each year, loneliness costs families, the healthcare system, and businesses hundreds of billions of dollars.

To begin to tackle loneliness, it’s critical to understand it. Loneliness doesn’t necessarily mean that one is physically separated from others. It’s an all-consuming belief that one is socially isolated and cannot form meaningful connections with others.