Journal article
Perceived social support and the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study
Menopause (New York, N.Y.), Vol.26(7), pp.698-707
07/2019
DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001297
PMID: 30789457
Abstract
Previous studies have shown social support to be inversely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men, whereas fewer studies have assessed the relationship in women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between perceived social support and cardiovascular outcomes among postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.
We examined the relationships between perceived social support and (1) incident coronary heart disease (CHD), (2) total CVD, and (3) all-cause mortality. Participants were Women's Health Initiative Observational Study women, ages 50 to 79 years, enrolled between 1993 and 1998 and followed for up to 10.8 years. Social support was ascertained at baseline via nine questions measuring the following functional support components: emotional/informational, tangible, positive social interaction, and affectionate support.
Among women with prior CVD (n = 17,351) and no prior CVD (n = 73,421), unadjusted hazard ratios ranged from 0.83 to 0.93 per standard deviation increment of social support. Adjustment for potential confounders, such as smoking and physical activity levels, eliminated the statistical significance of the associations with CHD and CVD. However, for all-cause mortality and among women free of baseline CVD, the association was modest but remained statistically significant after this adjustment (hazard ratio = 0.95 [95% confidence interval, 0.91-0.98]). No statistically significant association was observed among women with a history of CVD.
After controlling for potential confounding variables, higher perceived social support is not associated with incident CHD or CVD. However, among women free of CVD at baseline, perceived social support is associated with a slightly lower risk of all-cause mortality.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Perceived social support and the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study
- Creators
- Nancy Freeborne - Department of Health Administration and Policy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VASamuel J Simmens - Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DCJoAnn E Manson - Division of Preventive Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MABarbara V Howard - Senior Scientist, Medstar Health Research Institute, Washington, DCCrystal W Cené - Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NCMatthew A Allison - Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CAGiselle Corbie-Smith - Department of Social Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NCChristina L Bell - University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HINatalie L Denburg - Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IALisa Warsinger Martin - Division of Cardiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Menopause (New York, N.Y.), Vol.26(7), pp.698-707
- Publisher
- United States
- DOI
- 10.1097/GME.0000000000001297
- PMID
- 30789457
- ISSN
- 1072-3714
- eISSN
- 1530-0374
- Grant note
- HHSN268201100046C / NHLBI NIH HHS HHSN268201100001C / WHI NIH HHS HHSN271201100004C / NIA NIH HHS HHSN268201100003C / WHI NIH HHS HHSN268201100002C / WHI NIH HHS HHSN268201100004C / WHI NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2019
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984070483202771
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