Unmarried status has been linked to a worse prognosis in both the general population and individuals with coronary artery disease in previous research.
Digital Desk: The European Society of Cardiology in a new study reveals that unmarried patients with heart failure appear to be less confident in managing their illness and more socially restricted than their married peers (ESCs). Moreover, Unmarried patients may have inferior long-term survival chances as a result of these differences.
Dr. Fabian Kerwagen of the Comprehensive Heart Failure Center at the University Hospital Wurzburg, Germany, said, "Social support helps people manage long-term problems."
"Spouses can help with medication adherence, encouragement, and the development of better habits, all of which can influence longevity. Unmarried patients in this study had less social connections than married patients and lacked confidence in their ability to manage their heart disease. We're looking into whether these elements could also contribute to the survival link."
Unmarried status has been linked to a worse prognosis in both the general population and individuals with coronary artery disease in previous research.
The marital status of patients with chronic heart failure was studied in this posthoc analysis of the Extended Interdisciplinary Network Heart Failure (E-INH) study.
The E-INH research comprised 1,022 patients who were hospitalised for decompensated heart failure between 2004 and 2007. 633 (63%) of the 1,008 patients who provided information on their marital status were married, while 375 (37%) were single, including 195 widowed, 96 never married, and 84 separated or divorced.
The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, a questionnaire specifically prepared for patients with heart failure, was used to assess quality of life, social restrictions, and self-efficacy from the outset. The amount to which heart failure symptoms restrict patients' capacity to interact socially, such as participating in hobbies and recreational activities or visiting friends, is referred to as social limitation.
Patients' perceptions of their abilities to prevent heart failure exacerbations and manage consequences are referred to as self-efficacy. The Patient Health Questionnaire was used to assess depressed mood (PHQ-9).
There were no changes in overall quality of life or sad mood between married and single patients. In comparison to the married group, the unmarried group scored worse on social limits and self-efficacy. During the 10-year follow-up period, 679 patients (67%) died.
Unmarried people had greater odds of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.58, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.31-1.92) and cardiovascular death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.58, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.31-1.92). When compared to married patients, widowed patients had the highest mortality risk, with hazard ratios of 1.70 and 2.22 for all-cause and cardiovascular death, respectively.
Further, Dr Kerwagen said, "The connection between marriage and longevity indicates the importance of social support for patients with heart failure, a topic which has become even more relevant with social distancing during the pandemic. Health professionals should consider asking patients about their marital status and wider social group and recommending heart failure support groups to fill potential gaps."
"Education is crucial but health providers also need to boost patients confidence in their self-care abilities. We are working on a mobile health application which we hope will assist heart failure patients in the day-to-day management of their condition," he added.
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