Key News in Family Medicine March 21, 2019 (12 of 12)

A large study suggests that living alone does not cause higher cardiovascular risk in people with well-controlled heart disease.

For 5 years, researchers followed more than 32,000 patients from 45 countries. All lived with stable coronary heart disease, which meant that the arteries that carry blood to the heart were narrowed or blocked but had not caused problems for at least several months. About 11% of the study participants lived alone.

During a multivariate badysis, compared to participants living with other people, those living alone did not present any higher risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure or death. . However, the researchers found a difference between men and women. Men living alone had a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 17%, according to the report published on February 21, 2007 on the Internet. Heart.

"Men living alone who have ever been married or cohabiting with women may not have such strong coping mechanisms or social supports," said Reuters Health, the lead author, Dr. Sumeet Gandhi of St Michael's Hospital and the University of Toronto.

The researchers also pointed to some findings that were not statistically significant. For example, women living alone were less likely to have heart attacks than women or men living with other people. "Historically, women manage the household, badume a supportive role and can develop superior personal care skills than their male counterparts," Gandhi and his colleagues write. "Women socialize differently from men and can form stronger social networks … relying less on spousal support than men."

Another non-significant finding is that patients aged 75 and over living alone tend to have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, while people under 65 living alone tend to have higher risks. The authors suggest that the social interactions of younger participants may be more under pressure, leading to poor health behavior, while patients over the age of 75 living independently may be relatively healthy.

Previous research has suggested that patients living alone could be at increased risk of cardiovascular events. The new findings could be the result of improved health care and better follow-up, according to the authors. Researchers lacked information on the economic status of patients, their proximity to support systems and resources, and whether they suffered from depression or stress. Gandhi said that further studies are needed to take into account these variables and other important variables. Having this information "could help guide possible psychosocial interventions," he added.

Dr. Gregory Marcus, director of clinical research at the Division of Cardiology at the University of California at San Francisco, who did not participate in the study, told Reuters Health that, On the one hand, people who live alone are more likely to be self-reliant. -sufficient and in relatively good condition. But, on the other hand, elderly people living alone with severe forms of illness will inevitably face problems, with no one to monitor them.

-Ankur Banerjee