Single men are twice as likely to die of heart failure as married men, study finds

New evidence suggests that a person’s gender and marital status may influence the risk and prognosis of heart disease. A new study presented at a world congress of cardiology finds that men who have never been married are twice as likely to die within five years of a diagnosis of heart disease. cardiac insufficiency compared men who were previously married or women of any marital status.

Heart failure is a chronic health problem that occurs when the heart becomes unable to adequately pump blood to other organs in the body. The condition can impact the functions of the lungs, kidneys and liver. The disease affects about 3 million Brazilians and manifests itself through symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling of the feet and legs.

“There is a relationship between a person’s relationship status and their clinical prognosis [com insuficiência cardíaca], and it’s important to find out why this happens,” said Katarina Leyba, MD, from the University of Colorado, and lead author of the study, in a statement. “As our population is aging and living longer, determining how best to support the population through the aging process is critical, and that may not be as easy as popping a pill. We need to take a personalized and holistic approach to supporting patients, especially with a chronic disease process like heart failure.”

The research uses data from a large study on atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease caused by the accumulation of plaque on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. The survey involved the participation of 6,800 North American adults between 45 and 84 years old. The researchers compared survival rates among 94 study participants with heart failure from the time of diagnosis, by gender and marital status, over a median follow-up period of 4.7 years.

To differentiate the role of marital status from other known risk factors, the researchers adjusted for age to explain the naturally high rate of death among the elderly and mental status to explain the known impacts of depression and other disorders on survival from heart failure. .

According to the results, men who never married were twice as likely to die within approximately five years of diagnosis compared to women of any marital status. Lifelong singles were about 2.2 times more likely to die than married men, but widowed, divorced, or separated men had no increased risk of death compared with married men. Marital status was not a significant predictor of death among women, according to the study.

multifactorial causes

The researchers assess that the reasons behind the relationship between a man’s marital status and survival from heart failure need further study.

Possible causes include social interaction or isolation, which can play an important role in mood and overall health; support in home health monitoring, medication adherence and transportation to medical appointments, in addition to differences in health behaviors, such as diet, exercise and alcohol consumption.

Experts estimate that different factors may play a role in the prognosis of heart failure for each person. However, being aware of a patient’s home situation can help guide more personalized health care strategies.

“As clinicians, we need to think about our patients not just in terms of medical risk factors, but also in the context of their lives,” said Katarina.

Follow-up

The main signs of heart failure include fatigue, leg swelling, difficulty breathing and exercise intolerance. Other symptoms may also be evident, such as coughing at night, loss of appetite, swelling and abdominal pain, weight gain or marked weight loss over the months.

Heart failure has great potential to reduce life expectancy. After diagnosis, half of patients may die within five years. There is no cure for heart failure, but medications, dietary modifications and regular physical activity can help patients live longer and reduce symptoms.

As a chronic condition, heart failure must be closely monitored and actively managed for the rest of the patient’s life. This includes regular doctor visits and constant care at home, including weight checks (rapid weight gain can give an early warning of fluid accumulation) and active monitoring for swelling, worsening shortness of breath, fatigue, medication side effects, and other questions.

The Unified Health System (SUS) offers assistance to people with heart failure, including prevention and control actions, diagnosis, provision of specific medications, guidance and follow-up.