NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women with a sparse social network are apparently at greater risk for having a stroke than women with plentiful social connections, researchers have found.

There have been a lot of studies linking heart disease to psychosocial factors such as low socioeconomic status, depression, and social relationships, but relatively few looking at these factors in relation to stroke, note Dr. Thomas Rutledge, of VA San Diego Healthcare System, California, and colleagues in the medical journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

The researchers examined the relationship between social networks and stroke in a cohort of 629 women who were evaluated for cardiovascular disease risk factors as part of a 6-year study. The participants completed the Social Network Index, which measured the presence or absence of 12 types of social relationships.

Women who were more socially isolated were significantly older, in poorer health, and more likely to suffer from depression than those with stronger social networks.

A total of 31 non-fatal and one fatal strokes occurred during follow-up. Analysis revealed that socially isolated women experienced strokes at 2.7-times the rate of those with more social support.

"Few physicians take the time to ask about psychosocial characteristics like social networks or depression," Rutledge commented to Reuters Health. "Research such as this suggests that getting to know the patient beyond their blood test results could help us better understand risk and perhaps devise better treatments."

However, he added, "We still don't know how a more isolated lifestyle translates in greater stroke risk for women."

One possibility is that they may have more risk factors such as higher levels of stress hormones or larger blood pressure fluctuations, Rutledge said. "Social support has been shown to decrease one's blood pressure response to stress."

Another reason may be that social isolation affects behavior "in ways that increase risk, for example by being less compliant with their treatment medications or getting less exercise," he explained.

More studies "to identify these factors is probably the next step," he concluded.

SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, April 2008.

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