Socially active older adults have slower rates of health declines

Staying connected to other people through a wide variety of social activities can yield important health consequences as you age.

12 dec 2011--That’s the message from a new study that found that older adults who maintain high levels of social activity or ramp up their social life as they age might be protected from increases in physical and cognitive issues over time.

“People have some control over their social lives, so it is encouraging to find that something many people find enjoyable—socializing with others—can benefit their cognitive and physical health,” said study author Patricia A. Thomas, Ph.D., of the Population Research Center at University of Texas at Austin.

While earlier research had established a link between health and social relations, this study sought to examine how changing social connections over time influenced health. While the elderly are vulnerable to losing formal social roles through retirement or the death of a spouse, they could still seek out social activities in other arenas.

In the study, which appears online in the December issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, the researchers analyzed data from a sample of 1,667 adults older than 60 years. Data collection from participants occurred in 1986, 1989, 1994 and 2002. Participants were asked about their frequency of social activities, such as visiting with friends and family members; attending meetings, programs or clubs; and volunteering in the community over the previous 12 months. They also answered questions about cognitive and physical limitations.

Older adults who had high initial levels of social engagement that only slightly decreased over time and those who had high or medium levels of engagement that increased over time developed cognitive and physical limitations more slowly than did those with low levels of engagement that decreased over time.

Thomas pointed out, “Even if older adults weren’t socially active when they were younger, when they increase social activity later in life, it can still reduce physical and cognitive health issues.”

Asenath La Rue, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist with the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, agreed with the study’s main finding. La Rue said there has not been much reporting about the benefits gained from social interaction if a person was not socially connected when younger. “However, it’s like the chicken and egg question about which comes first,” she explained, noting that while the research was observational, epidemiology supports the fact that social interaction is beneficial for cognitive health and physical performance in older adults.

More information: Thomas, P.A. (2011) Trajectories of Social Engagement and Limitations in Late Life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52(4), 430-443.

Provided by Health Behavior News Service

Socially active older adults have slower rates of health declines

Staying connected to other people through a wide variety of social activities can yield important health consequences as you age.

02 dec 2011--That’s the message from a new study that found that older adults who maintain high levels of social activity or ramp up their social life as they age might be protected from increases in physical and cognitive issues over time.

“People have some control over their social lives, so it is encouraging to find that something many people find enjoyable—socializing with others—can benefit their cognitive and physical health,” said study author Patricia A. Thomas, Ph.D., of the Population Research Center at University of Texas at Austin.

While earlier research had established a link between health and social relations, this study sought to examine how changing social connections over time influenced health. While the elderly are vulnerable to losing formal social roles through retirement or the death of a spouse, they could still seek out social activities in other arenas.

In the study, which appears online in the December issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, the researchers analyzed data from a sample of 1,667 adults older than 60 years. Data collection from participants occurred in 1986, 1989, 1994 and 2002. Participants were asked about their frequency of social activities, such as visiting with friends and family members; attending meetings, programs or clubs; and volunteering in the community over the previous 12 months. They also answered questions about cognitive and physical limitations.

Older adults who had high initial levels of social engagement that only slightly decreased over time and those who had high or medium levels of engagement that increased over time developed cognitive and physical limitations more slowly than did those with low levels of engagement that decreased over time.

Thomas pointed out, “Even if older adults weren’t socially active when they were younger, when they increase social activity later in life, it can still reduce physical and cognitive health issues.”

Asenath La Rue, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist with the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Institute at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, agreed with the study’s main finding. La Rue said there has not been much reporting about the benefits gained from social interaction if a person was not socially connected when younger. “However, it’s like the chicken and egg question about which comes first,” she explained, noting that while the research was observational, epidemiology supports the fact that social interaction is beneficial for cognitive health and physical performance in older adults.

More information: Thomas, P.A. (2011) Trajectories of Social Engagement and Limitations in Late Life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 52(4), 430-443.

Provided by Health Behavior News Service

Relationship Problems Increase Cardiovascular Risk

LONDON, Oct. 8 -- Stormy relationships may increase long term wear and tear on the heart physically as well as emotionally, leading to a modestly increased risk of coronary events. Men and women who reported the most conflict in their closest personal relationship were 34% more likely to have a heart attack or angina over the subsequent 12 years than those with the least amount of conflict, according to a large cohort study in the Oct. 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
However, emotionally supportive relationships were not linked to coronary events for good or ill, reported Roberto De Vogli, Ph.D., M.P.H., of University College London, and colleagues.
"The possibility that negative close relationships are more powerful predictors of health than other aspects of social support is consistent with previous research findings indicating that individuals tend to mentally replay negative encounters more than they replay positive ones," the researchers wrote.
Stressful aspects of intimate relationships may also be more important to health because they activate stronger emotions--worry and anxiety-with consequently stronger physiological effects, they said.
Many previous studies have linked social relationships to better cardiovascular health. However, findings for some aspects of relationships have been contradictory, and a previous longitudinal study of older adults showed a longer-term impact on mood from negative social exchanges than from positive ones.
So the researchers analyzed a prospective cohort of British civil servants working in London offices ages 35 to 55 from 1985 through 1988 in the Whitehall II study. The analysis included 9,011 respondents (2,897 women) who completed a questionnaire on close personal relationships in phase 1 (1985-1988) or phase 2 (1989-1990) of the study and had no history of coronary events.
Among the 8,499 participants with complete data, 589 experienced an incident fatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal MI, or angina as determined from clinical records over an average follow-up of 12.2 years.
The researchers found a dose-response association after controlling for age, sex, marital status, employment grade, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol level, social support, and source of emotional and practical support. About a third of participants in each tertile were married or co-habiting.
Participants who ranked in the top third of the cohort for a high level of adverse exchanges and conflict in their closest relationship were 1.34 times more likely to experience a coronary event than with those in the lowest tertile (95% confidence interval 1.10 to 1.63).
Those with a lower level of these negative aspects in their closest relationship were at less risk, although still elevated compared with individuals in the lowest tertile (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.46).
Negative emotions appeared to be part of the mechanism for this effect. Further adjustment of the model for negative mood and depression attenuated the associations for participants in the highest tertile (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.55) and the intermediate tertile (HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.42).
"Our findings partially support the hypothesis that negative emotions may mediate the relationship between adverse negative relationships and heart disease," Dr. De Vogli and colleagues wrote.
However, additional adjustment for work stress (job demands and job control) and health-related behaviors (exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, and fruit and vegetable consumption) left the associations essentially unchanged.
Notably, though, confiding in and receiving emotional support from a significant other was not associated with incident coronary events for even the highest tertile of support compared with the lowest (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.28).
Nor was practical help or support associated with incident coronary events for either the intermediate (HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.44) or the highest tertile (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.83 to 1.24) compared with those who got the least support.
Women and lower income participants were more likely to report negative interactions in their closest relationship, but there was no statistically significant interaction with coronary events for either.
The researchers noted that depression, low self-esteem, and anger "have been found to influence coronary heart disease through the cumulative 'wear and tear' on organs and tissues caused by alterations of autonomic functions, neuroendocrine changes, disturbances in coagulation, and inflammatory and immune responses."
Although British civil servants may not be representative of the general population, the investigators said the findings are likely generalizable to the majority of the working population who have office jobs.
The Whitehall II Study was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Health and Safety Executive, Department of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute on Aging, the Agency for Health Care Policy Research, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Networks on Successful Midlife Development and Socioeconomic Status and Health. The researchers reported no conflicts of interest. Additional source: Archives of Internal MedicineSource reference: De Vogli R, et al "Aspects of Close Relationships and Heart Disease" Arch Intern Med 2007; 167:1951-1957.