men who find themselves nearing the end of their rope are at greater risk of suffering a heart attack than their peers, according to a timely new study.
the research, presented saturday to an online meeting of the european society of cardiology, examined the concerning relationship between myocardial infarction and “vital exhaustion,” particularly in divorced and widowed men, or in those who never married.“vital exhaustion refers to excessive fatigue, feelings of demoralization and increased irritability,” said dmitriy panov, the study’s lead author from the institute of cytology and genetics in novosibirsk, russia. “it is thought to be a response to intractable problems in people’s lives, particularly when they are unable to adapt to prolonged exposure to psychological stressors.”the study used world health organization data from a representative sample of 657 novosibirsk men (aged 25 to 64) with no history of heart disease. the maastricht vital exhaustion questionnaire was used to divide the men into three groups according to their baseline level of vital exhaustion. two-thirds of participants were found to have symptoms of vital exhaustion —15 per cent deemed high; 52 per cent considered moderate — and the remaining 33 per cent were not affected by the phenomenon.nearly three-quarters (or 74 per cent) of participants with high blood pressure were also found to have vital exhaustion (58 per cent from the high group and 16 per cent from the moderate group). all of the men were monitored for heart attacks for a period of 14 years.researchers found that men with moderate or high levels of vital exhaustion had a 2.7 per cent higher risk of suffering a heart attack within five years than those not unaffected by such exhaustion. the risk of attack for these men was elevated by 2.25 per cent over 10 years and 2.1 per cent over 14 years.the influence of vital exhaustion on myocardial infarction decreased but remained statistically significant once researchers controlled for social variables such as occupation, education and marital status. men with moderate or high levels of vital exhaustion faced a 16 per cent higher risk of heart attack over 14 years than their unaffected peers even after adjusting for these factors. the heart risk connected to exhaustion was, unsurprisingly, higher in participants who were unmarried (whether by choice or through divorce or the death of a partner) than in those who were happily married.“living alone indicates less social support, which we know from our prior studies is an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction and stroke,” panov said.
the study found a higher risk of vital exhaustion related attacks in men with an elementary level education compared to university graduates; middle-aged men were also more likely to experience negative heart consequences than their younger peers.generally, the picture that emerged from the study was one where social disadvantage impacted the phenomenon of vital exhaustion, which carries a higher risk of poor heart health. “the relationship of exhaustion with threatening cardiovascular events should be taken into account when assessing risk,” panov said. “efforts to improve well-being and reduce stress at home and at work can help reduce vital exhaustion. involvement in community groups is one way to increase social support and become less vulnerable to stress.“together with a healthy lifestyle, these measures should be beneficial for heart health.”
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
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