Life satisfaction and mortality in elderly people: The Kangwha Cohort Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As well as biomedical risk factors, psychological factors have been reported to be related to mortality rate. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between life satisfaction and mortality in elderly people through an 11.8-year follow-up study of a prospective cohort.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Among 3,600 participants of the Kangwha Cohort Study who survived in 1994, 1,939 respondents of the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI)-A questionnaire were included (men, 821; women, 1118). The mortality risk for the period up to December 2005 was measured using the Cox Proportional Hazard Model.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When the relationship between LSI and mortality was evaluated in men, the unsatisfied group with lower LSI scores showed a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.83) than the satisfied group with higher LSI scores. In women, the unsatisfied group showed a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.18-1.92) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.30-3.85) than the satisfied group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found that elderly people with a lower LSI score, regardless of gender, were at risk of increased mortality from all causes, and low LSI score was also associated with cardiovascular mortality.</p

Low Systolic Blood Pressure and Mortality From All Causes and Vascular Diseases Among Older Middle-aged Men: Korean Veterans Health Study

Objectives: Recently, low systolic blood pressure (SBP) was found to be associated with an increased risk of death from vascular diseases in a rural elderly population in Korea. However, evidence on the association between low SBP and vascular diseases is scarce. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the association between low SBP and mortality from all causes and vascular diseases in older middle-aged Korean men. Methods: From 2004 to 2010, 94 085 Korean Vietnam War veterans were followed-up for deaths. The adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model. A stratified analysis was conducted by age at enrollment. SBP was self-reported by a postal survey in 2004. Results: Among the participants aged 60 and older, the lowest SBP (<90 mmHg) category had an elevated aHR for mortality from all causes (aHR, 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 3.1) and vascular diseases (International Classification of Disease, 10th revision, I00-I99; aHR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2 to 8.4) compared to those with an SBP of 100 to 119 mmHg. Those with an SBP below 80 mmHg (aHR, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 18.8) and those with an SBP of 80 to 89 mmHg (aHR, 3.1; 95% CI, 0.9 to 10.2) also had an increased risk of vascular mortality, compared to those with an SBP of 90 to 119 mmHg. This association was sustained when excluding the first two years of follow-up or preexisting vascular diseases. In men younger than 60 years, the association of low SBP was weaker than that in those aged 60 years or older. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that low SBP (<90 mmHg) may increase vascular mortality in Korean men aged 60 years or older

Smoking After Age 65 Years and Mortality: The Kangwha Cohort Study

Background: The relationship between smoking and mortality in elderly people, especially in women, is unclear. The present paper examines the association between smoking and the risk of mortality due to all causes of death with a special focus on cardiovascular disease in elderly Korean men and women. Methods: This study followed a cohort of 2201 residents (934 males and 1267 females) in Kangwha county who were ≥ 65 years of age. All patients were followed from March 1994 through December 31, 2005 (11.8 years) in order to determine cause-specific mortality. We calculated the hazard ratio of mortality according to smoking status using the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: During the 11.8 years of the study duration, 529 men and 498 women died. Current female smokers also demonstrated higher levels of cognitive impairment than nonsmokers. Current female smokers demonstrated significantly increased risks of mortality from deaths due to all causes and total cardiovascular disease in comparison with female nonsmokers. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of mortality was 1.32 (1.05–1.66) for all causes and 1.76 (1.10–2.82) for total cardiovascular disease. Current male smokers also demonstrated an increased risk of mortality due to all causes in comparison with male nonsmokers, but this outcome was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that smoking has a harmful effect on the risk of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in elderly Korean women. However, these findings need to be confirmed by further studies