Women Need More Help After Heart Attack

Women are in greater need of social support in the critical year after a heart attack than men, new research shows.

The study of 2,411 people treated for heart attacks at 19 U.S. medical centers found that both men and women who received the least support from health personnel, families, and friends did worse on a variety of measures, according to the report in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

"We were looking at a number of outcomes that are important for individuals, rather than just whether they die or remain hospitalized," says Judith Lichtman, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, a leader of the study. "We saw that lack of social support inhibits quality of life."

Men and women with the lowest level of social support had a higher risk of chest pain, worse mental functioning, and more symptoms of depression. But the association between social support and general health was stronger for women than for men, she adds.

Because women generally live longer than men, they are less likely to have a spouse or other male partner to provide support, she adds. "Older women should look to other family members," Lichtman says. Children can help, but when there are no children, "friends can be part of the rehabilitation process, and there are other ways to enhance support."

The study results "should help raise the awareness of care providers about what kinds of clinical intervention are necessary and the need for social contacts," Lichtman says. "It should help us target interventions to improve social support, not only by clinicians but also by family and friends."

— Source: Brigham and Women's Hospital