A new study has shown that marriage appears to be good for health,
boosting chances of survival, especially for people with a major heart
risk factor such as high cholesterol. According to the researchers, a
loving spouse might spur you on to look after yourself better. This was disclosed at the British Cardiovascular Society conference, based
on their study of nearly a million adults in the United Kingdom (UK).
Although, all of the participants had high blood pressure,
cholesterol or diabetes, the married ones fared much better than those
who were single. Dr. Paul Carter and colleagues at Aston Medical School
in the UK, who carried out the research, have already shown that
marriage is linked to a better chance of surviving a heart attack.
Their latest research hints at why this might be. They suspect
marriage helps buffer against big heart disease risk factors, including
cholesterol and high blood pressure. Similarly, the protective effect
was put down to increased social support and care, such as your spouse
nagging you to make lifestyle changes and take medication. Last year,
the same team behind this study were part of a group that found married
people were more likely to survive a heart attack.
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a socially or ritually
recognised union between spouses that establishes rights and
obligations between them, between them and their children, and between
them and their in-laws. Marriage can be recognized by a state, an
organisation, a religious authority, a tribal group, a local community,
or peers.
It is often viewed as a contract. The study looked at deaths from all
causes, including heart disease. Men and women in their 50s, 60s and
70s with high cholesterol were 16 per cent more likely to be alive at
the end of the 14-year study if they were married rather than single.
The same was true for diabetes and high blood pressure, with married
people having a survival advantage. The picture was less clear for
people cohabiting, separated, divorced or widowed. Also, the researchers
did not test if the wedded people were in happy marriages.
They suspect having someone special in your life is what’s important,
rather than simply getting hitched. Carter said: “We need to unpick the
underlying reasons a bit more, but it appears there’s something about
being married that is protective, not only in patients with heart
disease but also those with heart disease risk factors. “We’re not
saying that everyone should get married though.
“We need to replicate the positive effects of marriage and use
friends, family and social support networks in the same way.” Dr. Mike
Knapton, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “The take-home message
is that our social interactions, as well as medical risk factors such as
high blood pressure, are important determinants of both our health and
wellbeing.
“Whether you are married or not, if you have any of the main
risk factors for heart disease, then you can call upon loved ones to
help you to manage them.”