People who lack a supportive circle of friends and family have a greater risk of high BP and cardiovascular disease. There are various factors that influence blood pressure. It is said that social support can be an important predictor of BP dipping at night. Poor social support can often become a source of chronic stress that can affect the nervous system activity in such a way that it hinders normal blood pressure regulation, thereby potentially contributing to the risk of heart disease and stroke. To examine the relation between social support and the risk of cardiovascular disease, researchers at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York studied 81 older African-American adults (>60 years) who were given a portable blood pressure monitor to chart the changes in their blood pressure over 24 hours. Of the 81 men and women, 68 had normal blood pressure, while the rest had high blood pressure that was not yet being treated. These participants completed a standard questionnaire on social support. They were asked questions like how often they felt lonely, whether they wished they had more close friends and how often friends or family had let them down. The results showed that older adults who felt they lacked social support were less likely to show the normal blood-pressure decline that naturally comes with sleep. It was found that one-third of participants with the lowest levels of social support had the highest prevalence of non-dipping of blood pressure at night - 41 percent, versus 27 percent of those who reported the greatest social support. Therefore, older adults who lack support from family and friends have a higher risk of abnormal blood pressure regulation.
Psychosomatic Medicine,
February 2008