If you're maintaining standards when it comes to choosing a spouse, good for you. It may be the ticket you need to have a longer life and a healthier heart.
According to a study that has been recently published in Journal of Health and Social Behavior, couples who are happily married are less likely to develop heart problems later on in life.
The study was conducted among over a thousand couples whose ages range from 57 to 85 years old. They were then observed for a period of five years, in which participants measured the quality of their marriage and the health of their cardiovascular system.
The study then showed that bad marriages, which do not have to end in divorce, become more pronounced as the couples age. Moreover, women, in particular, have a higher tendency to develop heart problems than men. The researchers cite a woman's penchant to keep her feelings or internalize negative emotions more severely than mean as the possible reasons.
Stress in marriage can also weaken the immune system of the couples.
In a study conducted by the San Diego State University researchers, women in unsatisfying marriages also have elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as a higher body mass index, which suggests they are either overweight or obese. This only worsens the cardiovascular risk.
Now what if you're already married? The researchers suggest that marriage counselling should also be extended to couples who are 40 years old and above. Most of the couples therapies are directed to young adults, perhaps because many think that those who have been married for quite some time have more stable relationships.
The government can also help by introducing programs that can improve the quality of marriage in order to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
