PURPOSE: Many individuals perceive their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk to be lower than established clinical tools would estimate, yet little is known about the long-term consequences of holding such optimistic beliefs. We evaluated whether lower self-ratings of CVD risk are associated with lower rates of CVD death after addressing potential confounding by an extensive set of social and biologic CVD risk factors. METHODS: We conducted a 15-year mortality surveillance study of adults aged 35 to 75 years from southeastern New England (n = 2,816) who had no history of myocardial infarction. Baseline evaluation in 1990-1992 included household interview, anthropomorphic measures, and laboratory analyses. Outcomes were obtained using the National Death Index records through December 2005. RESULTS: Rating oneself to be at lower-than-average risk for one's age and sex was associated with lower rates of CVD mortality among men (hazard ratio [HR]=0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2-0.7) but not among women (HR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.7). None of the following weakened the findings among men: adjustment for baseline Framingham Risk Score, propensity score adjustment for both social and biologic factors, and censoring the first 2 years of surveillance. CONCLUSIONS: Lower self-ratings of CVD risk are independently associated with lower rates of CVD death among men.
PURPOSE: Many individuals perceive their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk to be lower than established clinical tools would estimate, yet little is known about the long-term consequences of holding such optimistic beliefs. We evaluated whether lower self-ratings of CVD risk are associated with lower rates of CVD death after addressing potential confounding by an extensive set of social and biologic CVD risk factors. METHODS: We conducted a 15-year mortality surveillance study of adults aged 35 to 75 years from southeastern New England (n = 2,816) who had no history of myocardial infarction. Baseline evaluation in 1990-1992 included household interview, anthropomorphic measures, and laboratory analyses. Outcomes were obtained using the National Death Index records through December 2005. RESULTS: Rating oneself to be at lower-than-average risk for one's age and sex was associated with lower rates of CVD mortality among men (hazard ratio [HR]=0.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2-0.7) but not among women (HR = 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.7). None of the following weakened the findings among men: adjustment for baseline Framingham Risk Score, propensity score adjustment for both social and biologic factors, and censoring the first 2 years of surveillance. CONCLUSIONS: Lower self-ratings of CVD risk are independently associated with lower rates of CVD death among men.
Authors: Erika A Waters; William M P Klein; Richard P Moser; Mandi Yu; William R Waldron; Timothy S McNeel; Andrew N Freedman Journal: J Behav Med Date: 2010-11-26
Authors: Louise S Acheson; Catharine Wang; Stephen J Zyzanski; Audrey Lynn; Mack T Ruffin; Robert Gramling; Wendy S Rubinstein; Suzanne M O'Neill; Donald E Nease Journal: Genet Med Date: 2010-04 Impact factor: 8.864