Marital status and occupation in relation to short-term case fatality after a first coronary event--a population based cohort

Marital status and long-term cardiovascular risk in general population (Gubbio, Italy)

To investigate whether marital status is associated to long-term major fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events in men and women from the Gubbio Population Study. The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD) and CVD death together with all-cause mortality were analyzed. The analysis included 2832 persons (44% men, 54 ± 11 years old). Marital status was defined at entry as married (married or living conjugally) versus unmarried subjects (widowed, separated, divorced or single). Married and unmarried subjects did not differ concerning socio-demographic, anthropometric and biological variables at baseline. Over 191 months median follow-up, the incidence of CHD was lower among married versus unmarried women [HR: 0.63 (95% CI 0.41-0.96)] only; the same was true for CHD mortality [HR: 0.43 (95% CI 0.22-0.84)] and all-cause mortality [HR: 0.75 (95% CI 0.59-0.96)] independently of traditional risk factors (age, SBP, total and HDL cholesterol, cigarette smoke and BMI). In men, marital status was not associated to any of the investigated outcomes. In primary care, marital status should be investigated as it can be associated with long-term CHD and all-cause incidence and mortality risks among women.

Blood Chromium Levels and Their Association with Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes, and Depression: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2016

Currently, there is no global consensus about the essentiality of dietary chromium. To provide evidence to this debate, an examination of blood chromium levels and common chronic health conditions was undertaken. Using a subsample from the 2015−2016 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 2894; 40 years+), chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine blood chromium levels (0.7−28.0 vs. <0.7 µg/L) and their associations with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs; self-report), diabetes mellitus (DM; glycohemoglobin ≥5.7%), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ≥5), while controlling for socio-demographic (age/sex/income/education/relationship status) and health-related (red blood cell folate/medications/co-morbidities/body mass index (BMI)/substance use) factors. The sample was almost evenly distributed between men and women (n = 1391, 48.1% (men); n = 1503, 51.9% (women)). The prevalence estimates of low blood chromium levels tended to be higher among those with CVDs (47.4−47.6%) and DM (50.0−51.6%). Comparisons between those with low vs. normal blood chromium levels indicate men have increased odds of CVDs (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22−2.85, p < 0.001) and DM (aOR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.32−2.83, p < 0.001) and lower odds of depression (aOR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.22−0.77, p < 0.05). Dietary chromium may be important in the prevention and management of CVDs and DM for men. Continued exploration of chromium’s role in chronic diseases, including differences by biological factors, is needed.

Family composition and living arrangements-Cross-sectional study on family involvement to self-managed rehabilitation of people with coronary artery disease

Aim

To describe the family composition and living arrangements of persons diagnosed with coronary artery disease and those relationships to family involvement in self‐managed rehabilitation.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Data were collected with postal questionnaire from persons diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) by using the Family Involvement in Rehabilitation (FIRE) scale. It measures family members' promotion of patients' rehabilitation and issues encumbering rehabilitation in family. Statistical methods were used to analyse the data.

Results

Patients' gender and having children in the family were predictors of issues encumbering rehabilitation in the family. But when examining living arrangements, patients who lived with a spouse or underage children had a better environment for recovery than those who lived alone or with adult children. More attention should be paid to targeting appropriate support for persons with coronary artery disease and their family members during the rehabilitation phase.

Gender Differences in the Social Determinants of the Long-term Prognosis for Severely Decompensated Acute Heart Failure in Patients over 75 Years of Age

Objective The aim of present study was to elucidate the gender differences in social determinants among patients with acute heart failure (AHF). Methods A total of 1,048 AHF patients were enrolled, and the 508 AHF patients who were ≥75 years old and the 540 patients who were <75 years old were evaluated as the elderly and non-elderly cohorts, respectively. Participants who met one of the three marital status-, offspring-, and living status-related criteria were considered socially vulnerable, and subjects were thus classified into socially vulnerable and non-socially vulnerable groups by gender in both the non-elderly and elderly cohorts. Social vulnerability was significantly more common in the elderly cohort (n=246, 48.4%) than in the non-elderly cohort (n=197, 36.5%) and significantly more common in the elderly women (n=157, 69.4%) than in the elderly men (n=89, 31.5%). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the survival rate of the socially vulnerable group was significantly poorer than that of the non-socially vulnerable group in the elderly male cohort (p=0.010). Social vulnerability was an independent predictor of the 1,000-day mortality in the elderly male cohort (hazard ratio: 1.942, 95% confidence interval: 1.102-3.422) but not in the elderly female cohort according to a multivariate analysis. Conclusion Social vulnerability was shown to be more common in elderly female AHF patients than in elderly men, although it was associated with a poor prognosis in elderly men. Reinforcing the social structure of elderly male AHF patients might help improve their prognosis.

Marital status and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The influence of marital status on the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and prognosis after CVD is inconclusive. We systematically reviewed the literature to determine how marital status influences CVD and prognosis after CVD.

METHODS

A search of MEDLINE and Embase in January 2018 without language restriction was performed to identify studies that evaluated the association between marital status and risk of CVD. Search terms related to both marital status and CVD were used and included studies had to be prospective in design. The outcomes of interest were CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke incidence and mortality. We performed random effects meta-analysis stratified by the types of population by calculating odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

Our analysis included 34 studies with more than two million participants. Compared with married participants, being unmarried (never married, divorced or widowed) was associated with increased odds of CVD (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.00 to 2.01), CHD (OR 1.16,95% CI 1.04 to 1.28), CHD death (OR 1.43,95% CI 1.28 to 1.60) and stroke death (OR 1.55,95% 1.16 to 2.08). Being divorced was associated with increased odds of CHD (P<0.001) for both men and women while widowers were more likely to develop a stroke (P<0.001). Single men and women with myocardial infarction had increased mortality (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.76) compared with married participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Marital status appears to influence CVD and prognosis after CVD. These findings may suggest that marital status should be considered in the risk assessment for CVD and outcomes of CVD based on marital status merits further investigation.

Marital Status, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Review of the Evidence

BACKGROUND

There is evidence showing that marital status (MS) and marital disruption (i.e., separation, divorce, and being widowed) are associated with poor physical health outcomes, including for all-cause mortality. We checked for the available evidence on the association between MS and cardiovascular (CV) diseases, outcomes, and CV risk factors.

METHODS

A search across the PubMed database of all articles, including the term "marital status" in their title, was performed. All articles were then manually checked for the presence of the following terms or topic: CV diseases, acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrest, heart failure, heart diseases, and CV mortality. Moreover, other search terms were: CV risk factors, hypertension, cholesterol, obesity, smoking, alcohol, fitness and/or physical activity, and health. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies were potentially considered pertinent for inclusion. Case reports, comments, discussion letters, abstracts of scientific conferences, articles in other than English language, and conference abstracts or proceedings were excluded.

RESULTS

In total, 817 references containing the title words "marital status" were found. After elimination of articles dealing with other topics, 70 records were considered pertinent. Twenty-two were eliminated for several reasons, such as old articles, no abstract, full text unavailable, other than English language, comments, and letters. Out of the remaining 48 articles, 13 were suitable for the discussion, and 35 (accounting for 1,245,967 subjects) were included in this study.

CONCLUSIONS

Most studies showed better outcomes for married persons, and men who were single generally had the poorest results. Moreover, being married was associated with lower risk factors and better health status, even in the presence of many confounding effects.

Marital history and survival after a heart attack

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and nearly one million Americans will have a heart attack this year. Although the risks associated with a heart attack are well established, we know surprisingly little about how marital factors contribute to survival in adults afflicted with heart disease. This study uses a life course perspective and longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine how various dimensions of marital life influence survival in U.S. older adults who suffered a heart attack (n = 2197). We found that adults who were never married (odds ratio [OR] = 1.73), currently divorced (OR = 1.70), or widowed (OR = 1.34) were at significantly greater risk of dying after a heart attack than adults who were continuously married; and the risks were not uniform over time. We also found that the risk of dying increased by 12% for every additional marital loss and decreased by 7% for every one-tenth increase in the proportion of years married. After accounting for more than a dozen socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioral, and physiological factors, we found that current marital status remained the most robust indicator of survival following a heart attack. The implications of the findings are discussed in the context of life course inequalities in chronic disease and directions for future research.

Association between divorce and risks for acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Divorce is a major life stressor that can have economic, emotional, and physical health consequences. However, the cumulative association between divorce and risks for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unknown. This study investigated the association between lifetime exposure to divorce and the incidence of AMI in US adults.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We used nationally representative data from a prospective cohort of ever-married adults aged 45 to 80 years (n=15,827) who were followed biennially from 1992 to 2010. Approximately 14% of men and 19% of women were divorced at baseline and more than one third of the cohort had ≥1 divorce in their lifetime. In 200,524 person-years of follow-up, 8% (n=1211) of the cohort had an AMI and age-specific rates of AMI were consistently higher in those who were divorced compared with those who were continuously married (P<0.05). Results from competing-risk hazard models showed that AMI risks were significantly higher in women who had 1 divorce (hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.55), ≥2 divorces (hazard ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-2.41), and among the remarried (hazard ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.70) compared with continuously married women after adjusting for multiple risk factors. Multivariable-adjusted risks were elevated only in men with a history of ≥2 divorces (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.66) compared with continuously married men. Men who remarried had no significant risk for AMI. Interaction terms for sex were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Divorce is a significant risk factor for AMI. The risks associated with multiple divorces are especially high in women and are not reduced with remarriage.

Marital status and ischemic heart disease incidence and mortality in women: a large prospective study

BACKGROUND

Being married has been associated with a lower mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) in men, but there is less evidence of an association for women, and it is unclear whether the associations with being married are similar for incident and for fatal IHD. We examined the relation between marital status and IHD incidence and mortality in the Million Women Study.

METHODS

A total of 734,626 women (mean age 60 years) without previous heart disease, stroke or cancer, were followed prospectively for hospital admissions and deaths. Adjusted relative risks (RRs) for IHD were calculated using Cox regression in women who were married or living with a partner versus women who were not. The role of 14 socio-economic, lifestyle and other potential confounding factors was investigated.

RESULTS

81% of women reported being married or living with a partner and they were less likely to live in deprived areas, to smoke or be physically inactive, but had a higher alcohol intake than women who were not married or living with a partner. During 8.8 years of follow-up, 30,747 women had a first IHD event (hospital admission or death) and 2,148 died from IHD. Women who were married or living with a partner had a similar risk of a first IHD event as women who were not (RR = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.96 to 1.02), but a significantly lower risk of IHD mortality (RR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.80, P <0.0001). This lower risk of IHD death was evident both in women with and without a prior IHD hospital admission (respectively: RR = 0.72, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.85, P <0.0001, n = 683; and 0.70, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.78, P <0.0001, n = 1,465). These findings did not vary appreciably between women of different socio-economic groups or by lifestyle and other factors.

CONCLUSIONS

After adjustment for socioeconomic, lifestyle and other factors, women who were married or living with a partner had a similar risk of developing IHD but a substantially lower IHD mortality compared to women who were not married or living with a partner.

Socioeconomic disparities in stroke case fatality--Observations from Riks-Stroke, the Swedish stroke register

BACKGROUND

Low socioeconomic status (low education and income level) has been found to be associated with increased stroke mortality. However, findings from previous studies on the association between socioeconomic status and case fatality (survival) after stroke have been inconsistent.

AIMS

The study aims to explore the association between socio-economic status and survival after stroke using Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register, with emphasis on changes in survival (in)equality with time after stroke.

METHODS

All 76 hospitals in Sweden admitting acute stroke patients participate in Riks-Stroke. Riks-Stroke data on 18- to 74-year-old patients with onset of first stroke during the years 2001-2009 were combined with data from other official Swedish registers. Case fatality was analyzed by socioeconomic status (education, income, country of birth, and cohabitation) and other patient characteristics.

RESULTS

Of the 62,497 patients in the study, a total of 6094 (9.8%) died within the first year after stroke. Low income, primary school education, and living alone were independently associated with higher case fatality after the acute phase. Differences related to income and cohabitation were present already early, at 8-28 days after stroke, with the gaps expanding thereafter. The association between education and case fatality was not present until 29 days to one-year after stroke. Dissimilarities in secondary preventative medications prescribed on discharge from hospital had only a minor impact on these differences.

CONCLUSIONS

Socioeconomic status had only a limited effect on acute phase case fatality, indicating minor disparities in acute stroke treatment. The survival inequality, present already in the subacute phase, increased markedly over time since the stroke event. The socioeconomic differences could not be explained by differences in secondary prevention at discharge from hospital. Large socioeconomic differences in long-term survival after stroke may exist also in a country with limited income inequity.

Trends in out-of-hospital ischaemic heart disease deaths 1992 to 2003 in southern Sweden

Aims:

In western countries out-of-hospital ischaemic heart disease (IHD) deaths account for approximately 50–70% of all IHD deaths. The objective was to examine the trends in out-of-hospital IHD deaths in the Region of Skåne in southern Sweden, in different sex- and age-groups.

Methods:

All 14,347 persons (range 24–110 years) in Skåne who died out-of-hospital between 1992 and 2003 from IHD (I410–I414; I20–I25) as the underlying cause of death. Subjects with previous admission for IHD since 1970 were excluded. Data were retrieved from the Swedish National Cause of Death and Patient Register. Age-standardized IHD mortality rates and trends were calculated using Poisson regression analysis.

Results:

Age-standardized annual out-of-hospital IHD mortality rates from 1992–2003 decreased in men from 177±13 to 103±9/100,000 inhabitants (−4.7%; p<0.001) and in women from 142±11 to 96±9/100,000 (−2.7%; p<0.001). In men, the annual change in age-standardized IHD mortality rates were −5.3 % ( p<0.001), −4.0 % ( p<0.001) and −4.7 % ( p<0.001), respectively, in the age groups 20–64 years, 65–74 years and ≥75 years. Corresponding figures in women were −4.4 % ( p<0.001), −2.4 % ( p=0.003) and −2.5 % ( p<0.001). The proportion of IHD deaths occurring out-of-hospital was in these age groups 50%, 40% and 35% respectively.

Conclusions:

In Skåne, out-of-hospital mortality in IHD deaths decreased significantly between 1992 and 2003. The decrease is more pronounced in men than women, and at the end of the study period in 2003, rates were almost equal. The proportion of IHD deaths occurring outside hospital was higher in younger people than in older people.

Marital status and outcome of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome: an observational report

BACKGROUND & HYPOTHESIS: Data on the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) according to their marital status is not clear.

METHODS

A total of 5334 patients presenting with ACS in 65 hospitals in 6 Middle East countries in the 2nd Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-2) were studied according to their marital status (5024 married, 100 single, and 210 widowed patients).

RESULT

When compared to married patients, widowed patients were older and more likely to be female. Widowed patients were more likely to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, history of heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease and were less likely to be tobacco users when compared to the other groups. Widowed patients were also more likely to present with atypical symptoms and have advanced Killip class. Widowed patients were more likely to present with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) when compared to the other 2 groups. Widowed patients were more likely to have heart failure (P = 0.001), cardiogenic shock (P = 0.001), and major bleeding (P = 0.002) when compared to the other groups. No statistically significant difference was observed in regard to duration of hospital stay, door to needle time in STEMI patients, or cardiac arrhythmias between the various groups. Widowed patients had higher in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality rates (P = 0.001). Marital status was an independent predictor for in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSION

Widowed marital status was associated with worse cardiovascular risk profile, and worse in-hospital and 1-year outcome. Future work should be focused on whether the provision of psychosocial support will result in improved outcomes among this high-risk group.

Incidence of coronary events and case fatality rate in relation to blood lymphocyte and neutrophil counts

OBJECTIVE

Elevated levels of blood leukocytes have been associated with acute coronary events (CEs), but data on leukocyte subclasses are limited. This study aimed to explore whether blood lymphocyte and neutrophil counts are associated with incidence of CEs and with fatal outcome in subjects who subsequently experienced a first CE.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were measured in 27 419 subjects from the general population without a history of CEs, heart failure, or atrial fibrillation. Incidence of CEs was studied in relation to leukocyte counts during a mean follow-up of 13.6 years. Neutrophil but not lymphocyte counts were significantly associated with incidence of CEs. After adjustments for confounding factors, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.00 (reference), 1.07 (0.94-1.23), 1.09 (0.95-1.25), and 1.39 (1.22-1.59) for subjects with neutrophils in the first, second, third, and fourth (highest) sex-specific quartiles, respectively (P for trend <0.001). Of the 1965 subject who had a CE, 471 subjects died on the first day of the CE, in- or outside hospital. The proportions of subjects who died the first day were 19%, 21%, 25%, and 28%, respectively in the first, second, third, and fourth quartiles (P for trend <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased neutrophil counts are associated with incidence of CEs and increased case-fatality rate after a CE.

Effect of living alone on patient outcomes after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction

Considerable attention has been devoted to the effect of social support on patient outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, little is known about the relation between patient living arrangements and outcomes. Thus, we used data from PREMIER, a registry of patients hospitalized with AMI at 19 United States centers from 2003 through 2004, to assess the association of living alone with outcomes after AMI. Outcome measurements included 4-year mortality, 1-year readmission, and 1-year health status using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and the Short Form-12 Physical Health Component scales. Patients who lived alone had higher crude 4-year mortality (21.8% vs 14.5%, p <0.001) but comparable rates of 1-year readmission (41.6% vs 38.3%, p = 0.79). Living alone was associated with lower unadjusted quality of life (mean SAQ -2.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] -4.44 to -0.35, p = 0.02) but had no impact on Short Form-12 Physical Health Component (-0.45, 95% CI -1.65 to 0.76, p = 0.47) compared to patients who did not live alone. After multivariable adjustment, patients who lived alone had a comparable risk of mortality (hazard ratio 1.35, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.93) and readmission (hazard ratio 0.99, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.28) as patients who lived with others. Mean quality-of-life scores remained lower in patients who lived alone (SAQ -2.91, 95% CI -5.56 to -0.26, p = 0.03). In conclusion, living alone may be associated with poorer angina-related quality of life 1 year after MI but is not associated with mortality, readmission, or other health status measurements after adjusting for other patient and treatment characteristics.