•  Heart Health Center

Why do some people fully recover from heart attacks while others struggle to stay alive? The answer isn't always found in hospital charts or EKG readings. Most successful survivors often have something in common: A strong network of friends and family. If you've recently had a heart attack, you should know that healing isn't just a one-person job.

Whether they're offering a ride to the doctor's office or sharing a few encouraging words, supportive friends and family are good therapy for any illness. And if you're recovering from a heart attack, their support can help keep you alive. One study of nearly 200 heart attack survivors found that people with close confidants were about three times more likely to survive the next six months.

Companions are good for the heart in many ways. For one thing, they can help you adopt and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle. It's much easier to exercise regularly or stick to a low-fat diet when you have some company. People with strong social support also tend to have lower amounts of cortisol and adrenaline, "stress" hormones that can boost the heart rate and damage arteries.

Most importantly, strong social ties can provide an armor against depression, a common and sometimes deadly complication of heart disease. On average, people who become depressed after a heart attack are about three to four times more likely to die within six months. (For more information on this issue, see Depression Following a Heart Attack. ) Close relationships with friends and family don't provide immunity to depression, of course, but loved ones can detect early signs and clues. If you're having trouble getting your bearings after a heart attack and sink into depression, a combination of intimacy, friendship, and strong family ties can dramatically reduce the danger.

That's the conclusion of a groundbreaking study of nearly 900 heart attack survivors published in the journal Circulation. Among the survivors who had the strongest network of friends and family, depressed patients were no more likely than others to die of heart trouble within a year. In stark contrast, depressed patients with few or no social ties were about 10 times more likely than non-depressed patients to succumb to heart trouble. When patients weren't depressed, social connections had little effect on survival.

The message is clear: Heart attack survivors suffering from depression benefit from all the support they can get. After a heart attack, if you aren't already surrounded by friends and family, ask your physician to refer you to a cardiac rehabilitation program where you can meet new people while you learn about your heart and begin to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. You can always take a volunteer job, join a health club (under your doctors' supervision), or find another way to forge new relationships. You might also consider joining a support group. If you've had cardiac bypass surgery, for example, you may want to look into Mended Hearts, a nationwide organization affiliated with the American Heart Association; it's an excellent way to share your experiences and help others preparing for or recovering from the surgery. (For more information, see http://www.mendedhearts.org). In short, do anything you can to stay connected. It just may be the best way to stay alive.

-- Chris Woolston, M.S., is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and was the staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His reporting on occupational health earned him an award from the northern California Society of Professional Journalists.

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Last updated June 30, 2009
Copyright © 2001 Consumer Health Interactive

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