Does life satisfaction reduce risk of incident hypertension and stroke? Evidence from the Whitehall II cohort

Guimond, A.-J., Kubzansky, L. D., Boehm, J. K., Kivimaki, M. et Trudel-Fitzgerald, C. (2021). Does life satisfaction reduce risk of incident hypertension and stroke? Evidence from the Whitehall II cohort. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 144 . p. 110414. ISSN 0022-3999 DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110414

Prévisualisation

PDF Disponible sous licence Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Télécharger (306kB) | Prévisualisation

Résumé

Background
Previous studies showed life satisfaction is related to reduced risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes, but its association with other cardiometabolic endpoints including hypertension and stroke remains unexplored. This study examined life satisfaction's prospective association with incident hypertension and stroke in middle-aged adults.

Methods
At baseline (1985–1988), 6225 healthy British civil servants aged 35–55 from the Whitehall II cohort completed the validated Satisfaction with Life Scale and provided information regarding sociodemographics, a range of health-related factors, and psychological distress. Incident hypertension was ascertained according to clinic-derived measures of systolic or diastolic blood pressure of ≥140/90 mmHg, respectively, or self-reports of either physician-diagnosed hypertension or hypertensive medication use. Incident stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) were ascertained by self-reported physician diagnosis. Follow-up assessments occurred every 2–5 years through 2017. Cox proportional hazards regression models estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of hypertension and stroke/TIA risk separately.

Results
Over a 31-year follow-up, 2703 cases of hypertension and 370 cases of stroke/TIA occurred. Life satisfaction was not related to risk of developing hypertension but was associated with 12% decreased risk of stroke/TIA after controlling for sociodemographics, health status, and health behaviors (HRper 1-SD = 0.88; 95%CI = 0.79–0.98). However, the association was attenuated after adjustment for psychological distress.

Conclusions
No robust associations were found between life satisfaction and incident hypertension and stroke/TIA, respectively, after accounting for well-established risk factors and psychological distress. More research is needed to understand why associations of life satisfaction with cardiometabolic health seem to vary across endpoints.

Type de document:	Article
Mots-clés libres:	Hypertension Stroke Life satisfaction Well-being Positive psychology Prospective studies Longitudinal studies Risk factors
Date de dépôt:	26 juin 2025 12:31
Dernière modification:	26 juin 2025 12:31
Version du document déposé:	Post-print (version corrigée et acceptée)
URI:	https://depot-e.uqtr.ca/id/eprint/12021

Actions (administrateurs uniquement)

Éditer la notice