Men who have never been married face a higher risk of death after being diagnosed with heart failure, according to findings highlighted by the American College of Cardiology. This pattern appears to reflect broader health and social factors that influence outcomes after a cardiac diagnosis.
Chronic heart failure occurs when the heart muscle loses strength or stiffness that impairs its ability to pump blood efficiently. It is a leading cause of cardiovascular illness and mortality, currently affecting more than 6 million people in the United States. The condition places substantial demands on the heart and the entire circulatory system, often requiring ongoing medical management, lifestyle adjustments, and careful monitoring to manage symptoms and slow progression.
The study drew on data from 6,800 American adults aged 45 to 84 and tracked outcomes over a decade. Researchers compared the survival of 94 individuals diagnosed with heart failure, with follow-up averaging 4.7 years. The analysis included breakdowns by gender and marital status and accounted for age to separate the effects of aging from other risk factors. Mental status was considered to help exclude depression as a confounding factor in mortality risk.
Results showed that men who had never married were about twice as likely to die within roughly five years of diagnosis as women across all marital statuses. Singles for life were roughly 2.2 times more likely to die than married men, while widowed, divorced, or separated men did not show a higher mortality risk compared with married men. Among women, marital status did not significantly alter mortality rates.
Researchers expressed no definitive explanation for the observed association. They suggested that social isolation and the accompanying stress experienced by single men may contribute to higher death rates, potentially influencing health behaviors, access to support, and adherence to treatment plans. The findings underscore the broader importance of social context and mental well-being as components of cardiovascular care and prognosis, alongside traditional clinical risk factors and disease severity.