During Recovery, Stroke Patients Benefit from Supportive Social Networks
Large networks of family and friends are beneficial for blood pressure improvement among patients who experienced a stroke, according to a study published online in the International Journal of Cerebrovascular Disease and Stroke.
“In aging populations at higher risk for stroke, we often think of the primary caregiver in terms of network, but more consideration should be given to the role that the larger circle of both family and friends plays in supporting the health of this population,” wrote corresponding author Bernadette Boden-Albala, DrPH, of the University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, and study coauthors.
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The study included 407 patients treated for stroke/transient ischemic attack at 4 medical centers in New York, New York, who received a skills-based, culturally tailored educational intervention upon discharge. Researchers assessed the association between social networks and systolic blood pressure reduction at 12 months after discharge.
Patients with stronger and more supportive social networks had greater improvement in blood pressure during recovery, researchers reported.
Specifically, blood pressure improved more among patients whose social networks consisted of both family and friends compared with family only, according to the study. Additionally, having 3 to 5 “alters” (a term for people the patient could discuss health and other important matters with) when at least 3 of the alters had finished high school, was significantly linked with larger blood pressure reduction compared with having no alters.
“Indeed, any network in which at least 1 alter had attained some college education demonstrated positive risk reduction, and networks with higher educational attainment had larger blood pressure reduction,” researchers wrote. “One explanation for this … [is] that within a network, 1 individual with higher educational attainment may have better health literacy, being able to interpret medical information and coordinate actions needed, including assigning tasks to other network members or checking on medication interactions.”
References
Harnessing the power of social networks to address the burden of stroke recurrence. News release. University of California, Irvine; October 8, 2024. Accessed October 18, 2024.
