A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health suggests that having good neighbors is good for your heart.
More than 5,270 American adults, ages 50 and over, with no history of heart disease were used for the study. 62 percent were married and about two-thirds were women, according to HealthDay News.
Study participants were analyzed for four years and had to assess how involved they were in their neighborhoods, if they trusted their neighbors, if their neighbors were friendly and if their neighbors would help them if they ran into trouble.
The results?
According to the study, an "increase in perceived neighborhood social cohesion was associated with a 22% reduced odds of myocardial infraction." Put simply, if you have good neighbors and feel a sense of togetherness in your community, you may be protected against heart attacks.
Throughout the four years, only 148 participants suffered from a heart attack, and participants who reported higher levels of social cohesion in their neighborhood were less likely to suffer from myocardial infraction, also known as a heart attack.
What is more, the study found "a single unit increase in neighborhood social cohesion was associated with a 17 percent reduced risk of a heart attack," reported HealthDay News.
"There's less stress in your life if you do enjoy and are friendly and kind to your neighbors," Lotta Neer told WDTV.
Though the results found an association between living in good neighborhoods and reduced heart attack risk, it did not prove a cause-and-effect link.
