How Community Keeps Your Heart Healthy

When it comes to heart health, most people associate it with having a healthy diet, exercising, limiting alcohol, and reducing stress.

But what if I told you that there’s a way to improve your heart health that goes beyond all of that?

Having a community of people that you can associate yourself with, trust, and seek support from is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to heart health.

Unfortunately, it is also something that is often neglected.

Before we get into the details of how community can be healthy for your heart, let’s first talk about why having a healthy heart is important in the first place.

The Importance of a Healthy Heart

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men.

In fact, one in four deaths is related to heart disease.

High blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease, and 47% of Americans have at least one of these risk factors (1).

Improving eating habits, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol intake are all pieces of the puzzle that may help improve heart health.

Studies have also found that having a sense of community is part of that as well, as we'll learn below.

The "Roseto Effect"

A study published in the Journal of American Medical Association examined Italian immigrants in a small town called Roseto, Pennsylvania (2).

The residents in this town had a shockingly low amount of heart disease, an observation called the "Roseto Effect” (3).

A study was created, now known as the famous "Rosetto Study", to find out why people who lived in Roseto had such healthy hearts.

The researchers compared health statistics of the people in Roseto to other local towns for seven years, and what they discovered was shocking. 

Results of the Roseto Study:

•No one in Roseto under the age of 47 had died of certain heart problems, and there were not any men under the age of 55 that were diagnosed with heart disease.

•The rate of certain heart problems for men in Roseto over the age of 65 was half the rate of the national average.

•The death rates for Roseto community members was 35% lower than anywhere else in the world.

These surprising results made the researchers dig deeper into what the Roseto community was doing to have such positive results.

What Was So Different About the Roseto Community?

Since diet is a major contributor to a healthy heart, the researchers examined the diet of the Roseto community and found that their diet wasn’t great.

In fact, they were eating a lot of fried foods.

They also examined their lifestyle and discovered that many individuals worked in quarries or mines, leading them to be exposed to numerous toxins.

They then would spend their leisure time enjoying cigars and wine.

The researchers then looked even deeper and noticed a very close-knit social community among family and friends.

In particular, elders were nurtured by the community instead of neglected.

The researchers concluded that a sense of community among individuals living in Roseto was the main contributor to the lack of heart problems in the town.

In other words, the community itself was the key to heart health (4).

Benefits of Having a Community

Although the Roseto Effect study was done in the 1960’s, the benefits of community still hold true.

Unfortunately, social commitments and ties are often neglected and thought of as just another thing to add to our “to-do” list.

Although research has many benefits to belonging to a community including: (5,6).

Even though being part of a community takes some work, there are many benefits that it can provide.

How to Attract Your Community

So how can you build a community in your own life?

Below are some ways: 

• Seek support in a local church: finding a local church that aligns with your beliefs is the strongest community you can find. Also, many churches have programs you can get involved with to reach out to others in your area.
• Get involved in community events: sign up to volunteer at a local food pantry, take a dance class, or sign up for an art class at a local art studio.
• Research groups in your area: Interested in learning how to crochet?  Want to improve your photography skills? Check out groups at your local library or look up groups that interest you on Meetup.com.
• Start your own group: Build your own community by starting your own group, such as a book club or dinner club.

In addition, attracting a community oftentimes means getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things.

Conclusion

Diet and lifestyle can have a large impact on heart health, but don’t forget a sense of community as well.

The more you surround yourself with people that can support, inspire, and connect with you, the healthier your heart will be.

Do you have any community building tips? Let us know in the comments below!