Social Support and Change in Vascular Risk Factors in Patients with Clinical Manifestations of Vascular Diseases

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Vascular risk can be reduced by adequate medical treatment of vascular risk factors and by adopting a healthy lifestyle, a behavioral change that is influenced by social support. We investigated whether social support is associated with change in vascular risk factors in patients with vascular diseases during 1 year. METHODS: 140 patients who had 2 modifiable vascular risk factors participated. Social support was measured with a questionnaire about the patient's perception of active involvement, protective buffering, and overprotection. RESULTS: Most types of social support were not associated with a change in vascular risk factors over 1 year. Having a partner was associated with a reduction in BMI of 1.4 kg/m2 (95%CI -2.2 to -0.5), less protective buffering was associated with a decrease in blood glucose of 0.47 mmol/l (95%CI 0.09-0.84), and less active involvement was associated with an increase in BMI of 0.42 kg/m2) (95%CI 0.05-0.78). CONCLUSION: Having a partner and active involvement are only associated with a decrease in BMI but not with changes in other vascular risk factors. Protective buffering is only associated with blood glucose whereas overprotection is not associated with changes in vascular risk factors.