AI Insight
This study using data from 16,284 UK participants examined how different aspects of social connections relate to cardiometabolic health markers. Living with others was associated with higher BMI and waist circumference but lower pulse rate, while greater social support and lower relationship strain were associated with better outcomes across most markers including lower BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glycated hemoglobin. The findings demonstrate that the quality and functional aspects of social relationships show more consistent protective associations with cardiometabolic health than simply living arrangement structure alone.
Why it matters
The research suggests that interventions to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health should focus not just on whether people live alone or with others, but on the quality of their relationships and the support they receive. This could inform public health strategies that address social isolation and relationship quality as modifiable risk factors for cardiometabolic disease.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
Social connections influence cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes, but more research is needed to examine whether different aspects of social connections relate differently to physical, physiological, and biological markers of cardiometabolic health. This study examined associations between structural, functional, and quality aspects of social connections and key anthropometric and cardiometabolic markers. Using data from Understanding Society, linear regression analyses adjusted for identified confounders explored associations between living with others (structural), social support (functional), and relationship strain (quality) with anthropometric (BMI, waist circumference; n=16,284), cardiovascular (pulse rate, systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP; n=13,902), and metabolic markers (triglycerides, total cholesterol, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c); n=10,070). Living with others was associated with higher BMI (B=0.638, 95%CI=0.365 to 0.911) and waist circumference (B = 1.597, 95%CI = 0.928 to 2.265), while greater social support and lower relationship strain showed the reverse association. Living with others, greater social support, and lower relationship strain were all associated with lower pulse rate, although just social support and low relationship strain were associated with lower diastolic BP and none of the three exposures with lower systolic BP. Greater social support and lower relationship strain (but not living with others) were associated with lower total cholesterol (B = -0.019, 95%CI = -0.033 to -0.005; B = -0.022, 95%CI = -0.039 to -0.006), triglycerides (B = -0.012, 95%CI = -0.018 to -0.005; B = -0.014, 95% CI = -0.022 to -0.006), and HbA1c levels (B = -0.003, 95%CI = -0.005 to -0.001; B = -0.006, 95% CI = -0.008 to -0.003). There was some suggestion of moderation by sex, although this was modest. These findings enhance understanding of the nuanced relationship between structural, functional, and quality aspects of social connections and health.