Key result
Higher social network scores were associated with a significantly lower risk of incident coronary heart disease (HR 0.78) and heart failure (HR 0.78) among African American women.
Why the study?
Cardiovascular disease disproportionately affects African American adults, and greater social networks or social connectedness may lower the risk of CVD events.
Does a higher social network score reduce incident cardiovascular disease events in African American adults?
Cohort (n=5,252)
No
Does a higher social network score reduce incident cardiovascular disease events in African American adults?
Hazard Ratio: 0.78 (95% CI 0.68–0.89)
Higher social network scores are associated with a lower risk of incident coronary heart disease and heart failure among African American adults, particularly women, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Social connectedness may identify lower CHD/HF risk in African American women; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) disproportionately affects African American adults. Greater social networks (SN), or social connectedness, may lower the risk of CVD events. Objective: Determine the association of SN and incident CVD and test mediation by depressive symptoms, hypertension control and diabetes control. Methods: We used the Social Network Index (SNI) at exam 1 (2000-2004) to develop a continuous standardized SN score and binary categories (high vs. low) among participants in the Jackson Heart Study (n=5252, mean age=54.8 years). Surveillance of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and heart failure (HF) events occurred after exam 1 (2005 for HF) until 2016. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, we estimated the association of SN and CVD events by sex and tested the mediation of depressive symptoms, hypertension control and diabetes control. Models adjusted for age, education, health behaviors, and CVD co-morbidities. Results: Among women, the SN score was associated with a lower risk of CHD and HF after full adjustment (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68, 0.89 and HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.63, 0.95, respectively), but the association with stroke attenuated after adjustment for co-morbidities (HR 95% CI 0.88 95% CI 0.67, 1.14). SN scores were also associated with CHD in men (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.70, 0.99) after full adjustment. High vs. low SN was associated with CHD in men and women, but not after adjustment for co-morbidities. There was no evidence of mediation by depressive symptoms, diabetes control, and hypertension control. Conclusion: Higher SN may lower the risk of CVD events, especially in women.
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Glover et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in Cardiovascular disease (CHD, stroke, HF) (n=5,252). Social Networks (SN) score vs. Lower SN score was evaluated on Incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in women (per 1-SD increase in SN score) (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.89). Higher social network scores were associated with a significantly lower risk of incident coronary heart disease (HR 0.78) and heart failure (HR 0.78) among African American women.
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