Social Networks and Cardiovascular Disease Events in the Jackson Heart Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Health

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses a significant health burden, disproportionately affecting Black adults.
• Social networks (SNs), representing social connectedness, are hypothesized to influence CVD risk.
• Understanding the role of SNs is crucial for developing targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between social networks and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Black adults.
• To examine potential mediation by depressive symptoms, hypertension control, and diabetes control in this association.
• To determine if these associations differ by sex.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Jackson Heart Study (n=4686) with a standardized Social Network Index (SN score) at baseline.
• Employed Cox proportional hazards regression to assess the association of SNs with incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure over a median follow-up of 11-12 years.
• Adjusted for demographic, behavioral, and clinical covariates, and tested for mediation effects.

Main Results:

• A higher SN score was associated with a significantly lower hazard of stroke, coronary heart disease, and heart failure among women.
• In men, a higher SN score was associated with a lower hazard of coronary heart disease.
• No evidence of mediation by depressive symptoms, diabetes control, or hypertension control was found.

Conclusions:

• Higher levels of social connectedness are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events, particularly among women.
• Social networks represent a potentially modifiable factor for cardiovascular disease prevention in Black adults.
• Interventions aimed at enhancing social connectedness may be beneficial for cardiovascular health, especially in women.