Meta-analysis of the association between marital status and hypertension: evaluating the impact of age and gender

Abstract

Objectives: Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is more prevalent in the elderly. Due to the aging population, it is crucial to know the risk factors of hypertension to prevent it and its complications. One potential risk factor is marital status; therefore, this study investigates the impact of marital status on hypertension risk, considering the variables of gender and age. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar until August 27, 2023. Study selection and data extraction were performed precisely. The pooled effect size for various marital status, age, and gender subgroups was calculated. Results: The overall effect size of the association between marital status and HTN was 32.01 (95 CI = 38.93, 35.09). Single, married, divorced, and widowed subgroups showed an effect size of 17.67 (95% CI = 19.23, 19.12), 54.89 (45.05, 64,13), 16.11 (95% CI = 14.00, 18.23), and 27.46 (95% CI = 23.63, 31.29), respectively. The analysis based on age revealed an effect size of 0.52 (95% CI = 0.38, 0.65) and 0.38 (95% CI = 0.24, 0.52). For those aged above 40 and below 40, respectively. Finally, males and females were associated with HTN, with effect sizes of 0.38 (95% CI = 0.33, 0.43) and 0.45 (95% CI = 0.39, 0.51), respectively. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that married and divorced status is associated with the highest and the lowest incidence of hypertension, respectively. In terms of gender and age, males aged < 40 were related to lower hypertension risk compared to females and those aged >= 40. However, more extensive cohort studies are needed to further support our findings.