Volunteering Could Combat Heart Disease

Do you have ongoing health issues that you can't quite seem to shake? Maybe you've be feeling a little down, or a little isolated? This is a common experience for many. When you find yourself in this type of situation, like most people, you'll probably visit the doctor and try to make some changes with your diet and/or lifestyle that might ease some of your symptoms. Many will also turn to medication.

But did you know that there is also another remedy you could try that's good for improving both your mental and physical health? Volunteering has been shown in studies to act as a buffer against stress and illness.

All of this should come as no surprise. After all, most of us know that family and friends can help to ease the symptoms caused by stress and illness. Whenever you increase your social contacts and strengthen your network of friends, according to some recent clinical trials, you could literally be lowering your chances of suffering from premature death.

It seems that the more social contacts you have, the less likely it is that chronic illness will negatively affect your life. In fact, some health experts have concluded that the benefits of social relationships are as significant as the negative impacts smoking, physical inactivity, and high blood pressure can cause.

In one clinical trial, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health examined the relationship between social networks and mortality, as well as heart disease incidence. The research team designed a four-year follow-up study in an ongoing cohort of men, for whom information on social networks was collected. The researchers looked at deaths from cardiovascular disease (stroke and coronary heart disease), cancer, accidents/suicides, as well as stroke and coronary heart disease incidence. A total of 32,624 male health professionals from the U.S., aged 42 to 77 years in 1988, who were free of coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer were recruited for the trial.

The research team found that, compared with men with the highest level of social networks, socially isolated men (not married, fewer than six friends or relatives, no membership in church or community groups) were at increased risk for cardiovascular disease mortality. Socially isolated men were also at increased risk of stroke incidence. The researchers concluded that social networks were associated with lower total mortality by reducing deaths from cardiovascul ar disease and accidents/suicides.

And it seems that size does matter. The larger your social network, the more likely it is that you will experience a sense of well-being and good health. Even if you are struggling with a health problem, knowing and being aware that support is all around you can be health-enhancing. Recovery may be quicker than you expected and stress levels can be significantly reduced.

Sources:
Volunteering Could Combat Heart Disease Berkman, L., and Syme, S., "Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: a nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents," American Journal of Epidemiology, 109: 186-204.