Are you having trouble getting married?A Yale University study found it could slow heart attack recovery

Marital stress, especially severe stress, can make it harder for young adults to recover their physical and mental health after a heart attack, and increase the chances of chest pain and readmission, new research shows. suggests.

“Health care professionals should be aware of the personal factors that may contribute to cardiac recovery and focus on directing patients to resources that can help manage and reduce stress levels.” said the study’s lead author, Cenjing Zhu, in a news release. Zhu is a PhD candidate in Chronic Disease Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut.

“Our findings support that stresses experienced in everyday life, such as marital stress, can affect young adults’ recovery after a heart attack,” Zhu said. “However, additional stressors other than marital stress, such as financial stress and work stress, may also play a role in young adult recovery, and further research is needed on the interplay between these factors.”

The study will be presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific session in Chicago on Sunday. Findings are considered preliminary until full study results are published in peer-reviewed journals.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 605,000 first heart attacks and 200,000 recurrent heart attacks each year.

Previous research has shown that psychological and social stress can impair the ability to recover from heart disease. However, other studies have linked being married and having a life partner to improved health and heart disease prognosis. A new study explored how that relationship status affects a person’s ability to recover from a heart attack.

Participants were selected from the VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) study. From 2008 she participated in 1,593 adults aged 18 to her 55 who were treated for heart attacks at 103 hospitals in the United States in 2012.

Participants self-reported their level of marital stress one month after their heart attack using a 17-item questionnaire called the Stockholm Marriage Stress Scale. was classified as

One year after their heart attack, participants completed a series of additional questions about their physical and mental health. A point scale was used to assess their overall health, how they perceived physical pain, and whether their physical health affected their daily activities. Questions related to social interaction were also answered. Hospital records were used to determine whether participants were readmitted for any reason.

More women than men report having severe marital stress. In this study, 4 out of 10 women reported severe stress levels compared to 3 out of 10 men.

The analysis showed that participants who reported moderate or severe marital stress were 67% more likely to report chest pain than those who did not report mild or severe marital stress, and were 67% more likely to report relapse for any reason. They were shown to be nearly 50% more likely to be hospitalized. Those with severe stress levels scored lower on physical and mental health. Participants reporting severe marital stress also scored lower on quality of life.

“This study underscores the importance of assessing the mental health of heart disease patients and is consistent with previous research showing the significant burden of marital stress on women’s health,” said Nieka Goldberg. Goldberg, who was not involved in the study, is an associate professor of clinical medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and medical director of Atria NY in New York City.

“A holistic approach to cardiac care that includes physical and mental health has the potential to transform cardiac care from one organ care to the patient’s overall health,” said Goldberg. said. “Healthcare systems need to support clinical assessment of both physical and mental health as it can lead to better patient outcomes and healthier lives.”