Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, in a Sunday interview, warned about the adverse effects of chronic loneliness, which could lead to a shorter lifespan.

Murthy, on NBC's "Meet the Press," told host Kristen Welker that struggling with loneliness and isolation increases the risks of depression, anxiety and suicide, along with the risk of heart disease, stroke and dementia in older adults.

"The overall mortality increase that can be related to social disconnection is comparable to the mortality impact of smoking and obesity," he said. "That's how powerful and how important loneliness is."

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