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Marital status and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Chun Wai Wong1, Chun Shing Kwok1, Aditya Narain1

  • 1Keele Cardiovascular Research Group, Institute for Applied Clinical Science and Centre for Prognosis Research, Institute of Primary Care and Health Sciences, University of Keele and Academic Department of Cardiology, Royal Stoke Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent, UK.

Heart (British Cardiac Society)
|June 21, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Being unmarried, divorced, or widowed increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality after CVD events. Marital status is a significant factor in CVD risk assessment and patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Social Science

Background:

  • The impact of marital status on cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and prognosis remains unclear.
  • Existing research presents conflicting evidence regarding the association between marital status and CVD outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and synthesize existing literature on how marital status influences the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • To determine the effect of marital status on prognosis and mortality after a CVD event.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted in MEDLINE and Embase databases up to January 2018.
  • Prospective studies investigating the association between marital status and CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), or stroke incidence and mortality were included.
  • Random effects meta-analysis was performed, calculating odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) stratified by population type.

Main Results:

  • The analysis included 34 studies with over two million participants.
  • Unmarried individuals (never married, divorced, widowed) faced increased odds of CVD (OR 1.42), CHD (OR 1.16), CHD death (OR 1.43), and stroke death (OR 1.55) compared to married individuals.
  • Divorced individuals had higher odds of CHD, and widowers had increased stroke mortality. Single individuals with myocardial infarction experienced higher mortality (OR 1.42).

Conclusions:

  • Marital status significantly influences cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence and outcomes.
  • These findings suggest that marital status should be incorporated into CVD risk assessments.
  • Further research is warranted to investigate the specific impact of marital status on CVD prognosis and outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
acute coronary syndromesmeta-analysisstrokesystemic review

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