Stress, longevity and cardiovascular outcomes among African American families in the Jackson Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE Little is known about the relationship between family longevity, stress, and CVD in African Americans. METHODOLOGY Data consisted of 3274 participants aged ≥ 50 years with information on parental living status, the three indicators of stress, and cardiovascular health from the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). RESULTS Those with both parents dead had significantly fewer life events than those with mother alive but father dead and those with both parents alive. Controlling for age, sex, and education, there were significant main effects for the number of life events, as well as the three parental living status variables in comparison to the both dead category. There is evidence for mediation with life events and weekly stress events, but not with global stress. DISCUSSION The results show that there is a pattern on longevity in African American families that intersects with their stress experiences. Further examination of how generational patterns of stress are passed down is warranted.