Marriage improves health, lowers risk of heart diseases - new study

A new nationwide study by researchers at New York University has revealed that having a spouse can improve your health. It said marriage lowers your risk of heart disease by five percent. 


The large-scale study at NYU Langone Medical Center surveyed 3.5 million men and women at 20,000 centers around the USA.

The researchers said married people had lower risk than singles in every age group, but marriage seemed to do the most good for those under age 50; they had a 12 percent lower risk of heart-related disease than single people their age.

The benefits were found in women as well as men, and regardless of other heart disease risk factors they had such as high cholesterol or diabetes, researchers found.


"Our survey results clearly show that when it comes to cardiovascular disease, marital status does indeed matter," senior study investigator and NYU Langone cardiologist Dr. Jeffrey Berger said in a statement. "If one of my patients is recently widowed or divorced, I'm increasingly vigilant about examining that patient for signs of any type of cardiovascular disease and depression," he added. 

They examined health questionnaires from people who sought medical screening or scans from 2003 through 2008. Respondents' average age was 64, nearly two-thirds were female and 80 per cent were white. 

They gave information on smoking, diabetes, family history, obesity, exercise and other factors.  The study also found that:

• Widows and widowers had a 3 per cent greater risk of heart disease;
• Smoking was highest among divorced people and lowest in widowed ones;
• Obesity was most common in those single or divorced;
• Widowed people had more chance of high blood pressure, diabetes and inadequate exercise.

The findings held true at any age, for women as well as for men, and regardless of other heart disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol  or diabetes.