Living together with your neighbors means less chance of a stroke.

It is this interesting connection in people over 50 that was revealed by a new study conducted by scientists from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (USA).

An increase in the standard deviation towards greater social cohesion was associated with a 15% reduction in stroke risk over the follow-up period (odds ratio 0.85; 95% CI 0.75-0.97).

The relationship remained significant even after adding several physiological and psychological factors that may influence stroke risk to the analysis.. Such data was cited in the online edition of Social Science \u0026 Medicine by Eric Kim..

“Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States, costing the nation approximately $25.2 billion in direct costs each year.. Therefore, scientists in the country are looking for new factors that will help determine risk and identify targets for intervention,” the Michigan researchers wrote..

If future work conclusively proves that the level of neighbor relations has an impact on the risk of stroke, then this study may change the policy of relations between neighbors, taking into account its impact on one's own health.. Indeed, today many of us simply do not think about how petty quarrels with people living nearby will affect our condition in the future..

Numerous studies have already examined the relationship between negative factors in neighbor relations (violence, fighting, noise, traffic) and poor health outcomes.. But, surprisingly, few scientists have paid attention to the relationship between health and good neighborly relations..

Incidentally, a previous study in suburban Chicago found that social cohesion—a measure of “close bonding between neighbors driven by the common good”—is associated with a reduced risk of stroke..

The study by Eric Kim and his colleagues was built on data from a huge cohort that actually represents the entire American nation - this is data from the Health and Retirement Study (“Health and Retirement”). The study included an assessment of the neighbor relations of the participants at the individual level.. The analysis included 6,740 Americans over the age of 50 (mean age 69) who did not have a history of stroke or TIA.

At the beginning of the study, participants reported on their relationship with their neighbors, rating each of the four statements given on a 7-point scale:.

• I really feel like I'm part of this neighborhood..

• Most people in the area can be trusted.

• If you are in trouble, many people in the area will help you..

• Most of the people in the area are friendly.

Over four years of follow-up, 3.9% of study participants had a stroke.

Moreover, greater social cohesion was associated with a 15% reduction in stroke risk, even after adjusting for factors such as age, gender, chronic disease, education, wealth, and marital status..

After controlling for other significant positive and negative psychological factors, including anxiety, depression, cynicism, and hostility, the result remained significant (OR 0.86; 95% CI 0.75-1.00).

“This proves that good neighborhood relationships protect against stroke and are stronger than all of the negative factors listed, including negative psychological statuses and threats, which we tested.. Future research should … examine the impact of personal and environmental factors on social cohesion and stroke risk,” the authors write..

The study was limited by the inability to study relationships across ethnic groups, and by the paucity of information on some factors, including family history of cardiovascular and neurological disease and genetic vulnerability..

The work was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which focuses on innovative ideas that drive breakthroughs in medicine..

The authors did not report any conflicts of interest.

medbe. en.