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Changes in views on aging in later adulthood: the role of cardiovascular events
Susanne Wurm1, Maja Wiest2, Julia K Wolff1,3
1Institute for Community Medicine, Department of Social Medicine and Prevention, University Medicine Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 48, 17475 Greifswald, Germany.
Insights
Experiencing a serious cardiovascular event (CVE) can negatively alter how individuals view aging, impacting their self-perceptions and subjective age. This highlights a potential health-related downward spiral, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Psychology of Aging
Background:
- Longitudinal studies often examine views on aging's impact on health, but less frequently the reverse.
- Serious cardiovascular events (CVEs) are life-threatening and may influence individuals' perspectives on aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of experiencing a cardiovascular event (CVE) on views on aging (VoA) over a three-year period.
- To understand if health events can change self-perceptions of aging and subjective age.
Main Methods:
- Utilized pooled data from three waves of the German Ageing Survey (2008, 2011, 2014).
- Employed propensity score matching to compare individuals who experienced a CVE (n=202) with a matched control group without a CVE (n=200).
- Analyzed changes in VoA indicators, including self-perceptions of aging and subjective age.
Main Results:
- Individuals who experienced a CVE exhibited adverse changes in self-perceptions of aging related to physical losses and ongoing development.
- Subjective age also showed adverse changes in individuals post-CVE compared to controls.
- These findings indicate a significant impact of cardiovascular events on how individuals perceive their own aging process.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular events can negatively alter views on aging, potentially initiating a health-related downward spiral.
- Health promotion programs should consider incorporating interventions targeting views on aging for individuals who have experienced a CVE.
- Addressing VoA post-CVE may be crucial for mitigating long-term health consequences.
Abstract:
A number of longitudinal studies have pointed to the long-term impact of different views on aging (VoA) on health in later life, whereas the reverse relationship has rarely been examined. Serious cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction or stroke are life-threatening events which might in turn lead to changes in VoA. The present longitudinal study examined the effect of a cardiovascular event (CVE) on VoA over a three-year period using pooled data from three waves of the German Ageing Survey (2008, 2011, 2014, age range: 40-95 years). In order to account for alternative explanations for changes in VoA, individuals without CVE (n = 200) were matched to individuals who experienced a CVE (n = 202) using a propensity score matching procedure. Compared to individuals without CVE, individuals who experienced a CVE showed adverse changes in three VoA indicators (self-perceptions of aging as associated with physical losses/with ongoing development; subjective age). These results suggest that CVE can in fact change how individuals view their own aging. According to previous studies, this can lead to future health changes and thus become a health-related downward spiral. Health promotion programs could, therefore, profit by adding specific VoA interventions for individuals who experienced a CVE.
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