title: Social network, presence of cardiovascular events and mortality in hypertensive patients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to ascertain the relationship between social network and the appearance of mortality (cardiovascular events (CVEs)) in patients with arterial hypertension (AHT). This is a cohort study of 236 patients with a 9-year follow-up. Measurements included age, sex, blood pressure (BP), diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, marital status, social network, social support, stage of family life cycle (FLC), mortality and CVEs. Patients with a low social network registered higher global mortality (hazards ratio (HR) 2.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3; 5.5)) as did the oldest patients (HR 5.6 (1.9; 16.8)), men (HR 3.5 (95% CI 1.3; 9.3)) and subjects in the last FLC stages (HR 4.3 (95% CI 1.3;14.1)). Patients with low social support registered higher cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.6 (95% CI 1.1; 6.1)) as did the oldest patients (HR 12.4 (95% CI 2.8; 55.2)) and those with diabetes (HR 3.00 (95% CI 1.2; 7.6)). Patients with a low social network registered more CVEs (HR 2.1 (95% CI 1.1; 4.1)) than patients with an adequate network, as did the oldest patients (HR 3.1 (95% CI 1.4; 6.9)), subjects who presented with a higher grade of severity of AHT (HR 2.7 (1.3; 5.5)) and those in the last FLC stages (HR 2.5 (95% CI 1.0; 6.2)). A low social network is associated with mortality and the appearance of CVEs in patients with AHT. Low functional social support is associated with the appearance of cardiovascular mortality.
authors.affiliation: Mariñamansa-A Cuña Health Center, Galician Health Service, Ourense, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Menéndez-Villalva
authors.affiliation: Pontedeva Health Center, Galician Health Service, Ourense, Spain.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Gamarra-Mondelo
authors.affiliation: Carballo Health Center, Galician Health Service, Corunna, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso-Fachado
authors.affiliation: Mariñamansa-A Cuña Health Center, Galician Health Service, Ourense, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naveira-Castelo
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain [2] CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montes-Martínez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support