Heart Failure: Can Social Relationships Improve Recovery? Here’s What We Know

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According to the World Health Organization, approximately 35,40,000 people die each year in India as a result of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Cardiovascular disease is more prevalent among young people, and Indians suffer from coronary artery disease at an increased rate [1].

It is natural for us as we grow older to lose some blood pumping ability, but heart failure is the result of additional stress caused by health conditions that either damage the heart or make it work too hard.

Heart failure can also be caused by a number of lifestyle factors that increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes, such as smoking, being overweight, consuming high-fat and high-cholesterol foods, and being inactive [2].

According to a recent study, social disconnectivity affects heart failure. Socially disconnected people are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular events or die within two years of heart failure. According to the researchers, social connectedness is key to managing heart failure in older adults [3].

A few studies have examined the effects of social frailty - a feeling of being isolated from family and friends - on older patients with HF. Understanding how social frailty affects HF prognosis could inform HF after-care measures [4][5].

Heart Failure: Can Social Relationships Improve Recovery?

Here are the important points from the study:

Point 1: In a study conducted among older adults hospitalised with HF (heart failure), researchers found that loss of perceived social role was associated with an increased risk of adverse events, including cardiovascular events.

Point 2: Statistics revealed that patients with social frailty had a greater likelihood of experiencing a cardiovascular event or dying within two years of HF than those without social frailty.

Point 3: A common definition of frailty is a physiological state associated with ageing that is characterised by a marked vulnerability to adverse health outcomes caused by physiological decline. Social frailty can be defined as a continuum of being at risk of losing, or having lost, resources that are essential to fulfilling one or more basic social needs during one's lifetime [6].

Point 4: Moreover, people who felt they were not helpful to friends or family were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular events.

Point 5: Individuals who report loneliness, for example, tend to engage in poor health-related behaviours such as sedentary behaviour and substance use. They also have more disease burden, poor cognitive health, and faster progression of disease. These factors put individuals at even greater risk when heart disease develops as social disconnection has already taken a toll on the body.

Point 6: Patients with heart failure experience a decline not only in their physical functions, but also in their cognitive functions, such as remembering to take their medication and managing their medications as well as their food and oral intake as they age.

Point 7: Experts emphasised that patients' social support and sense of community may improve their prognosis by motivating them to keep up with medication, doctor appointments, diet, and exercise.

Point 8: It has been shown that those who do not perceive themselves to be helpful have lower social connections, lower levels of self-efficacy and control, lower levels of social support, and lower levels of resilience [7].

Point 9: In addition, studies have indicated that individuals with a poor sense of usefulness are less likely to seek out optimal healthcare and engage in preventive and health-promoting activities, thus influencing their health or contributing to more rapid health declines [8].

On A Final Note...

Human existence depends on social connections. By neglecting our need for connection, we put our health at risk, which in turn leads to higher self-esteem, empathy, and a stronger immune system. Social connection reduces anxiety and depression, helps us regulate our emotions, improves our self-esteem, and helps us regulate our emotions. In reality, we are experiencing a period of true disconnection today.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.