Romantic Partners And CVD: Choose Wisely
The human heart is a complicated organ, but a person's emotions and soul are infinitely more so. However, when someone has heart disease, the physical requirements of the heart and the assumptions of the illness can overshadow the humanity of the person with the illness. Are social relationships important in combating CVD? But is it dangerous?
It’s pretty complicated.
First off, happy belated Valentine’s Day! While we are on this topic, it is important to address how necessary companionship is to one’s mental and physical health, especially when it comes to heart disease. According to the article, In Sickness and in Health: a Literature Review about Function of Social Support within Anxiety and Heart Disease Association by Zarbo et al., it is clear that social interaction benefits ones heart condition, as it states that several previous reports have, “shown that a strict relationship between anxiety, social support and cardiac disease outcomes subsists” (Zarbo et al., 2013). So there is a connection between social support, anxiety, and cardiac disease. But to what degree?
The article continues, saying that, “findings of this study suggest so that patients awaiting angiography who have more social support from family and friends experience lower levels of anxiety concerning the anticipated medical procedure and report fewer cardiac symptoms, than their more socially isolated counterparts” (Zarbo et al., 2013), which implies that social relationships reduce anxiety which helps to preserve and maintain heart health better than those without such a support system.
However, social relationships are different than intimate relationships. The article discusses how “literature has suggested that intimacy may be beneficial for physical health and psychological well-being” (Zarbo et al., 2013). This follows the pattern in how multiple other studies have, “in fact shown that the lack of intimacy with friends and romantic partners is related to depression, higher loneliness and emotional distress, more physical symptoms, and greater mood disturbance, especially following negative life events. On the contrary, high levels of intimacy, defined in terms of affection and shared thoughts and feelings, may have buffered the harmful effects of various stressors. Patients with more intimate attachments to their spouses have been shown to adapt better to myocardial infarctions” (Zarbo et al., 2013). Therefore, psychologically speaking, intimacy between loving partners can have psychological and physical benefits if one has a heart condition, and can help one face the hardship of having a heart problem better than those without such support.
But at the same time, having a partner does not necessarily mean that one’s heart health is better off. As previously stated, it is the love in the relationship and the peace it brings that make it “heart-healthy.” The article, Intimate Relationships and Coronary Heart Disease: Implications for Risk, Prevention, and Patient Management by Timothy W. Smith highlights this crucial factor by noting how, “having an intimate partner is associated with reduced risk of incident CHD and a better prognosis among patients, but strain (e.g., conflict) and disruption (i.e., separation, divorce) in these relationships are associated with increased risk and poor outcomes. These associations likely reflect mechanisms involving health behavior and the physiological effects of emotion and stress. Importantly, many other well-established psychosocial risk and protective factors (e.g., low SES, job stress, depression, and optimism) are strongly related to the quality of intimate relationships, and these associations likely contribute to the effects of those other psychosocial factors. For better or worse, intimate partners can also affect the outcome of efforts to alter health behaviors (physical activity, diet, smoking, and medication adherence) central in the prevention and management CHD. Intimate partners also influence—and are influenced by—stressful aspects of acute coronary crises and longer-term patient adjustment and management,” (Smith, 2022). Therefore, having a relationship and a social support system is genuinely helpful for people with heart disease in facing an uncertain future.
Unfortunately, in terms of this topic, my advice is relatively limited. In my case, people often focus on visible differences rather than treating me as a person. Regardless of this, I still agree with the research findings.
I have seen people with heart disease adjust far better to the requirements and changes it brings when they have someone at their side to support them. From that support comes care, and that care comes a will to live, which is the most important factor of all in my opinion.
But this means that if one is sick, they need a discerning eye when choosing a partner, because who you’re with matters more than being with just anyone. Your heart will thank you for it.
Would you agree? Did everyone have a good Valentine’s Day?
Comment below.
P.S. Are there any aspects of CVD health or pacemakers you’d like to know more about?
Feel free to email me at:
blairmueller28@gmail.com
Tune in next Wednesday and Friday for more!
Keep ticking, everybody!
Reference List
Smith, T.W. (2022). Intimate Relationships and Coronary Heart Disease: Implications for Risk, Prevention, and Patient Management. Current cardiology reports, [online] 24(6). doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-022-01695-4.
Zarbo, C., Compare, A., Baldassari, E., Bonardi, A. and Romagnoni, C. (2013). In Sickness and in Health: a Literature Review about Function of Social Support within Anxiety and Heart Disease Association. Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 9(1), pp.255–262. doi:https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901309010255.
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