The impact of social ties on heart disease is extremely powerful. This was first revealed in 1980’s when the Swedish Gothenberg studies found that middle-aged men who perceive a lack of social ties were more likely to develop coronary artery disease and die prematurely of a heart attack.
How Do Social Ties Protect Against Coronary Artery Disease?
Specifically, this study looked at 50-year-old men born in 1933, measuring both "attachment" (social support from very close persons) and "social integration" (an extended network of social support). It was also noted back then that smoking and lack of social support were the two leading risk factors for developing coronary artery disease in this group. That's interesting since smoking and hypertension are the two prominent risk factors for women.
After years of training in both Gestalt and bioenergetics psychotherapies, and conducting research for my book Heartbreak and Heart Disease, I am well aware that having strong and healthy emotional ties are good for your heart. Plus, I’ve seen that the heartbreak of longing for a love that is unattainable is more than just a metaphor. Just consider the number of spouses who die after losing a life partner.
I also did my own clinical testing on this as well at a psychotherapy workshop in 1986. We observed that women who networked and shared emotions with one another had lower levels of stress hormones (catecholamine and cortisol) than the men who kept their feelings to themselves. Most significantly, 80% of those men had heart disease, whereas the women did not. It is clear that when you discharge the body of emotional turmoil, the body's stress hormone factory is quieted—and that is cardio-protective.
The take-away message is that fostering strong bonds with family and friends is good for your heart and your longevity. Let's face it: having happy, close relationships with others makes the quality of our life better. So it's no wonder that healthy social ties can add quantity to our lives as well.
Now it’s your turn: How do you stay connected to others?