People living with their spouse with heart disease alone were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease, suggests a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 70th annual scientific session.
Researchers studied more than 5000 heterosexual couples aged 45+, living in seven regions of China between 2014 and 2016. Participants provided information about their health history and that of their spouse, including detailed information on risk factors such as body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure; lifestyle factors such as exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption; and socio-economic factors.
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For the purposes of the study, a history of cardiovascular disease was defined as a history of a heart attack or stroke, or a history of percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft, which procedures are designed to open or bypass blocked arteries.
“We found that a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease is related to the health and lifestyle of the wife or husband,” said lead author Dr. Chi Wang of the Beijing Heart Health Research Center. “In addition to common lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, our study suggests that the stress of caring for a spouse with cardiovascular disease may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk.”
Previous research in this area has shown an increased risk for those caring for a spouse after a stroke. The authors point out that the new study covers a larger research population than previous studies and includes more comprehensive information on health status, risk factors and lifestyle variables.
As the data came from many regions in China representing a wide range of economic and cultural backgrounds, Wang noted that the results are likely to be similar to trends in other middle-income countries around the world.
“Family-centered health care plays an important role in chronic health care around the world,” Wang pointed out. “Our finding shows that the health of caregivers as well as their spouses in the community and primary care facilities should be monitored.”
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The link between a spouse’s history of heart disease and self-risk was especially pronounced for men. Of the men whose wives had heart disease, 28 percent. had the same cardiovascular disease, compared with 12,8 percent. men whose wives had no heart disease. A man was most likely to develop cardiovascular disease if his wife had a stroke, was obese, or smoked. It is likely that the significant role of women in determining the family’s diet may help explain this relationship.
Among women whose husbands had heart disease, 21 percent. had cardiovascular disease alone, compared with just 9 percent. women whose husbands did not have cardiovascular disease.
A woman was most likely to develop cardiovascular disease if her husband had a history of stroke.
“The health status and risk factors of women who drive the lifestyle of most families of mixed cultural backgrounds seem to have a greater effect on their husbands than their husbands’ risk factors on their wives,” said Wang.
Researchers also looked at trends in diabetes, but having a diabetic spouse did not significantly increase a person’s risk of diabetes. According to Wang, this may indicate that genetic and family factors are the dominant risk factors for diabetes.
Author: Paweł Wernicki
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