New research published in AJPM Focus suggests that fathers have worse heart health than men who are not fathers.
The prospective cohort study included a sample of over 2,800 men aged 45 to 84 years old who were participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). The participants’ heart health was measured using Life’s Essential 8 scores from the American Heart Association, excluding sleep. Life’s Essential 8 is a list of key factors for maintaining and improving heart health as determined by the American Heart Association. Besides sleep, Life’s Essential 8 includes diet, physical activity, smoking status, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
When the participants were divided into fathers and non-fathers, men who were fathers had worse heart health than men who were not fathers. Fathers who were less than 25 years old when their oldest child was born had worse heart health than men who were older than 35 years old at their oldest child’s birth. However, fathers also tended to have a lower rate of all-cause mortality than men who were not fathers.
The authors noted that the transition to fatherhood and the responsibility of childcare may create difficulties in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In particular, eating a healthy diet and getting enough physical activity may suffer. While lower all-cause death rates for fathers may seem contradictory, the authors further noted that the benefits of having strong social connections may counteract the negative effects of fatherhood on heart health. Fathers may also be more likely to have their children as caretakers as they get older. Younger fathers may have had worse heart health than older fathers for several reasons, such as fewer financial resources, lower-paying jobs with fewer benefits, or less overall maturity. In the future, research may focus on the transition to fatherhood and how heart-healthy behaviors change during that time period.
Sources: AJPM Focus, Science Daily, AHA
