WASHINGTON — A bad marriage can literally be bad for your heart, a new
study finds.
Researchers say older couples in troubled marriages have a higher risk of
heart
disease than those in a state of wedded bliss — and that is especially true
for
women.
A study of 1,000 longtime marrieds conducted at Michigan State University
found
that, while married people tend to be healthier than singles, that isn’t true
in
all cases, and the quality of marriage really counts.
The theory is that being in a broken marriage causes a lot of stress, and
women
feel
it the most because they tend to internalize their feelings. The
researchers stress the need for marriage counseling for older spouses, not
just for the young.
The study was funded by the National
Institute of Aging, part of the National
Institutes of Health, and published in the Journal of Health and Social
Behavior.
Related Stories:
- Eating fruit daily is heart healthy
- ‘Jaw-dropping’ results from heart health study
- Study examines if low-carb diets are best for your
health
Follow @WTOP and @WTOPliving on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
