Taking an active role in local community and socializing with neighbors could protect against the risk of heart disease. A new study has found that those who reported high involvement within their neighborhood appeared to have an almost 70 percent reduced rate of heart attacks.

Published recently in Epidemiology and Community Health, the study found that there was a correlation between the amount of satisfactory community interaction and the lessened chance of heart disease in people over 50 years old. Even after controlling for socioeconomic, biological, lifestyle and psychosocial variables, researchers were able to establish a strong link between community involvement and heart health.

Data was gathered for the study using 5,276 participants, aged 51 to 105, who were asked to fill out a questionnaire that rated their “perceived neighborhood social cohesion” on a scale of one to seven. None of those who participated had heart problems at the start of the study.

Participants were then followed up with for four years. During that time, 148 experienced a heart attack.

Once other possible factors were accounted for, researchers could still pinpoint a reduction in heart attack risk of 17 percent for each point of increased satisfaction reported in the survey. That equates to a 68 percent reduction in risk for a person who reports a score of seven, indicating extremely high satisfaction with their interactions with neighbors.

Though no causal relationship has been established by the study, the findings are supported by similar research. One study, published in September 2013, found that those who were actively involved within their neighborhoods were 48 percent less likely to experience a stroke.

Researchers for this new study point out that, while additional research is needed to confirm results, the findings are in line with a large body of evidence that shows that social support can protect a person’s health.

The study states, “Greater perceived social support – one’s perception of access to social support – has been linked with better cardiovascular health.”