Association of Family Composition and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults Aged over 45 Years Old

Association of living alone and living alone time with hypertension among Chinese men aged 80 years and older: a cohort study

Objective

There is little evidence of the influence of living alone on hypertension risk among men 80 years or older. Additionally, the influence of living alone duration on hypertension risk lacks thorough investigation. Hence, this cohort study examines living alone and its duration's link to hypertension risk in this specific group.

Methods

We included 2009 older men aged ≥80 years without hypertension from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in the 2008 wave. Follow-up was conducted in the 2011 wave. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess hypertension risk related to living alone and living alone time.

Results

We included 2,009 older men, with a mean age of 90.7 years (standard deviation: 6.8). Over a median follow-up of 2.9 (1.3-3.0) years, 573 participants (28.5%) developed hypertension. Living alone was significantly associated with a higher hypertension risk than living with family (HR: 1.42; 95% CI 1.11-1.80). When compared to living with family, the hypertension risk was increased in the first quartile of living alone time (0-6.1 years) (HR: 1.76; 95% CI 1.16-2.66), the second quartile (6.1-10.6 years) (HR: 1.56; 95% CI 1.07-2.29), and the third quartile (10.6-19.3 years) (HR: 1.66; 95% CI 1.08-2.55). Surprisingly, no significant association was found in the fourth quartile (≥19.3 years) with hypertension risk. Stratified and Interaction analyses indicated no significant interaction effects between subgroups. Sensitivity analyses yielded consistent results.

Conclusion

Living alone was independently associated with an increased risk of hypertension in older men. The highest risk was found in those with the least time alone. These findings imply that social isolation and lack of companionship could be pivotal in hypertension development. Furthermore, the study highlights the need to consider living alone duration when assessing its impact on health outcomes.

Living Alone Increases the Risk of Hypertension in Older Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study

Background and Objectives

Cross-sectional studies have suggested a potential association between living alone and hypertension risk, but longitudinal evidence remains limited. We aimed to investigate the correlation between living alone, alterations in living arrangements, and hypertension risk among older adults utilizing a population-based longitudinal design.

Research Design and Methods

The study included 8 782 older adults (≥65 years) without hypertension from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Participants were surveyed during the 2008 and 2011/2012 waves and were subsequently followed up in the next wave. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, or a self-reported diagnosis of hypertension by a physician. Cox proportional hazards model was used to explore the association between living alone and hypertension. Additionally, we analyzed how switching living arrangements during the follow-up period affects hypertension.

Results

During a median follow-up of 2.8 (1.7-3.0) years, 2 750 hypertension events occurred. Compared with living with family, the hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of living alone was 1.19 (1.06-1.33) for hypertension. Similarly, persisting in living alone during follow-up increased the risk of hypertension compared to continuing to live with family (HR 1.24; 95% CI: 1.06-1.45). Compared to married participants who continued to live with family, widowed/divorced participants who transitioned from living with family to living alone experienced a higher risk of hypertension (HR 1.21; 95% CI: 1.00-1.47). Stratified analyses showed that living alone was only associated with an increased hypertension risk for participants aged >80, men, and rural residents.

Discussion and Implications

Living alone at baseline or persisting in living alone during follow-up correlated with increased hypertension risk. Divorced or widowed individuals who transitioned from living with family to living alone were still at risk. These results indicate that social support and living arrangements may be important in preventing hypertension in older adults.

Gender differences in metabolic syndrome risk factors among patients with serious mental illness

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components continue to increase among patients with serious mental illness. This cross-sectional study investigated whether metabolic syndrome prevalence and risk factors differ between male and female patients with serious mental illness. In total, 260 eligible patients were recruited from two hospitals. The data on demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviour factors, biochemistry, and anthropometry were collected. Analyses were performed using multivariate logistic regression. Metabolic syndrome prevalence was 40.8% (35.1% in men and 46.8% in women). Among patients aged 40-49 years, metabolic syndrome prevalence was higher in men; however, the trend was reversed among patients aged 50 years or older. Notably, gender-specific metabolic syndrome risk factors were observed. In men, they included low education level, high body mass index (BMI), prolonged illness, comorbid physical illness, and diagnosis of bipolar disorder, whereas they included being married, old age, and high BMI in women. Our findings suggest that mental health professionals should consider the gender- and age-based metabolic syndrome prevalence trend in patients with serious mental illness when designing interventions for the study population to minimize metabolic syndrome prevalence.

Review: Metabolic Syndrome in Black South African Women

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in African populations, and is particularly high in Black South African women (42%) vs women in the United Kingdom (23%) and the United States of America (36%). This population group is also known to have the highest prevalence of obesity in the sub-Saharan African region (42%), and consequently, a high risk of non-communicable diseases. In this article, we discuss factors (abdominal subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, lean mass, adiponectin, leptin, vitamin D, smoking and menopausal status) that have been investigated for their possible association with metabolic syndrome in African women, and discuss some recommendations for management of the syndrome. In particular, the infrastructural development of HIV/AIDS clinics in South Africa provides an ideal integrated platform to cater to the treatment needs of patients with multiple chronic morbidities.