Having a really close relationship with another person, whether it be friend, lover, or relative, can cut your risk of further heart attacks in half, according to research in the medical journal Heart.
The research study involved 600 patients, with an average age of 60, almost three quarters of whom were men. They were screened three to four days after having had a heart attack and were monitored for 12 months to assess their risk of further attacks or death.
One in Four Depressed, But ...
About one in four of those screened had been depressed before having their first heart attack, but despite findings from previous research, these patients were no more likely to have a further heart attack or to die from a heart attack than the patients who were not depressed. (But the researchers caution that depression does increase risk for a first heart attack.)
Here's where the real surprise came. Heart patients who had someone close in whom they could confide had half the risk of those without such a close friend, even after taking in account the severity of the heart attack and other risk factors.
The patients without a really close relationship were more likely to drink heavily, to use illegal drugs, and to have had at least one previous heart attack before admission. |
