If your friends and family are far away, it might break your heart -- literally. Staying in touch could make all the difference.

Add hardship to heartache: Loneliness increases your risk of heart disease. But being alone doesn't necessarily mean being lonely. Stay in touch through e-mails, phone calls, and, whenever you can, face-to-face visits. The social connection may keep you healthier by providing a coping mechanism for stress -- a major contributor to aging and disease.

More ways to decrease any chance of loneliness include:

• Keeping track of birthdays and anniversaries and sending thoughtful notes by mail
• Joining a weekly reading group
• Researching and taking part in local causes, such as feeding the homeless or cleaning up the environment
• Attending cooking classes
• Joining online groups whose members have similar interests
• Volunteering your skills to local nonprofit groups
• Walking dogs at your local shelter
• Starting a lunchtime walking group with neighbors or coworkers

Whatever you do to connect with people, just like the old song goes, make new friends, but keep the old. It'll do your heart a world of good.