Low socioeconomic status may increase heart attack and stroke risk for men

Main Category: Men's health
Article Date: 30 Nov 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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An 11-year follow-up study of nearly 600,000 Korean men ages 30-58 found lower socioeconomic status was linked to higher risks of death from myocardial infarction and stroke.

The findings held true even if higher-income men had one or more risk factors for heart disease and stroke, such as smoking cigarettes, being overweight or having high blood pressure.

The study's authors say their findings point to the need for better health care access and education across the economic spectrum about the symptoms of heart attack and stroke.

[From: "Socioeconomic position and cardiovascular disease in men. The Korean National Health Service prospective cohort study." Contact: Yun-Mi Song, MD, DrPH, Samsung Medical Center, Korea]

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