Support from family and friends helps patients at cellular level
Social support affects the immune system in transplant
Age18-74
Number of Participants121
Research GoalImprove Quality of LifeImprove Survival
Researchers checked blood samples from about 120 adults who got BMT during 2011-2013 and did surveys about their physical, social, mental and emotional health.
Patients who said they had better social support had changes in their blood tests. The patients had less of a marker linked to unhealthy inflammation.
The marker is called the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA).
Other studies have linked high CTRA levels to poor health after transplant. CTRA also has been linked to heart disease, viral infections, long-lasting fatigue, and depression.
CTRA levels can be changed with:
Patients who said they had better social support had changes in their blood tests. The patients had less of a marker linked to unhealthy inflammation.
The marker is called the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA).
Other studies have linked high CTRA levels to poor health after transplant. CTRA also has been linked to heart disease, viral infections, long-lasting fatigue, and depression.
CTRA levels can be changed with:
- Social support
- Therapy to reduce stress
- Positive psychology programs
- Medicines called beta blockers, such as propranolol
Keep in mind
This study was not a clinical trial. It did not include all the things that affect well-being such as income, ability to do activities, and more. More research is needed in a larger, more ethnically diverse group of people.