We've heard of people married a long time die soon after their spouse...some claim from a broken heart.
Now, a researcher team, led by Chun Wai Wong, at Royal Stoke Hospital's department of cardiology, in Stoke-on-Trent in Britain, surveyed people between ages 42 to 77 and found that long-term marriage might reduce the risk heart disease and stroke.
Dr. Christie Ballantyne is professor of medicine and chief of cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine. He said in this observational study, lifestyle—like your support system, being married, is a very important part of heart disease.
“If they have no social support system, if they’re isolated, if they have depression, all those are associated with worse outcomes after heart attacks,” said Ballantyne.
It seems like your long term better half is helpful when it comes to taking care of you, keeping track of medicines along with a dual income.
Ballantyne said isolation is associated with a worse outcome after a heart attack.
“Families as institutions tend to provide support to people, not always, but in general, can improve health outcomes,” said Ballantyne.
The study found divorced, widowed or never married were 42 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 16 percent more likely to have coronary heart disease. And, for non-married people, the risk of dying was raised by 42 percent from coronary heart disease and 55 percent from stroke.
The study was published in the medical journal Heart.