The support of family and friends can play an important role in the recovery of heart attack patients. Researchers from the McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, found that heart attack sufferers, who lacked the support of family and friends when they needed it, were more likely to die subsequently than other patients. This relationship held regardless of clinical factors such as overall heart function, high blood pressure and age. The research suggests that the lack of social support is an important risk factor for premature death in the year after the heart attack. The risk is as high as in high cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure. The reasons are not fully clear, but it's thought that poor support can negatively affect the body, mind and behaviour. Physical effects may include changes in the immune response, hormonal and nervous systems, and the blood circulation. While a person's need for emotional support may not be remedied as easily as high cholesterol, doctors can begin to do more to address the problem. Some simple questions added to routine evaluations could help spot patients who need to be referred for help. In one study, a support group for women with heart disease appeared to aid recovery after hospital discharge. Women in that group said they often bottled up their emotions around family and friends, but felt their support-group peers were better able to understand them. Another approach could be to convert heart attack rehabilitation into a more social activity, for instance, a buddy system that partners a patient with little social support with another who has a strong network of family and friends.
Archives of Internal Medicine,
August 2004