Dr.S.Venkatesan MD

American journal of epidemiology in a land mark analysis has found , spouses share the same profile of coronary risk factors .This is a huge finding , considering the fact that , genetic factors are not involved here . So , it is something to do with family diet ? domestic issues, sibling effect ?

It is well-known lipid profile of family members are comparable . There are many Indian families who have high basal triglycerides .Mind you, husband and wife is the least (Zero link) linked genetically for familial dyslipidemia ,still they often share a similar lipid profile

Related issues without answers !

When a spouse gets a coronary event what are the chances of other to develop an event ?

Any body’s guess

In this era of bi- polar family life, can spouse behavior /unrest be a coronary risk factor ?

Yes . No surprises here .Apart form passive domestic smoking which is a well established coronary risk factor , in our coronary care unit , an initial survey of acute coronary syndrome patients revealed , a recent quarrel with their spouses, was a potential trigger for ACS. Further analysis of these data is being done

Spouse Ego : A powerful health risk

Spouse Ego : A powerful health risk

Divorce and coronary events ?

These are hypothetical observations in few families we have come across .

• Forced divorce can be a definite coronary risk factor
• Consensual divorce is not .
• Women seeking divorce is more a risk for men than they inflict on women

Reference
Augusto Di Castelnuovo and others, Spousal Concordance for Major Coronary Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 169, Issue 1, 1 January 2009, Pages 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwn234