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A new British study suggests that a bad marriage boosts heart risks by more than 30 percent, undermining previous research that suggested couples enjoy better health than singles.

The Research

The study, published in the latest Archives of Internal Medicine , was conducted by researchers at University College London who asked 9,000 civil servants in the 1980s to complete questionnaires about their close relationships.

Participants were asked about the quality of their relationships, including whether confiding in the person whom they felt close to made them feel worse or better.

Researchers followed up with the study participants 12 years later and found that individuals who had high negative relationship scores on their questionnaires were more likely to report heart conditions—even after accounting for high risk factors like smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and negative personality traits like depression.

Emotional Toll

In their findings, the authors cite emotional fluctuations that cause “wear and tear” on organs. And stress, of course, has long been associated with numerous health issues.

Cardiac nurse Cathy Ross said the research “reinforces a well known fact that lack of emotional and psychological support may increase the risk of heart disease.”

So what is the ultimate message one should take from these results? According to lead author Roberto De Vogli, “… being married is in general good, but be careful about the kind of person you have married. The quality of the relationship matters.”

(Source: Associated Press)

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