Marriage may have its share of headaches, but researchers in Finland found that it’s good for the heart. And that’s apparently true for both sexes. Unlike similar previous studies that focused on men, the team reviewed the marriage experiences and health of both men and women for its population-based research.
Published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, the study examined data from more than 15,300 people from three regions within Finland over the course of a decade. Of those who suffered the highest number of heart attacks, unmarried men were 58 to 66 percent more likely to have heart failure. For women, the likelihood was 60 to 65 percent higher than for unmarried females.
“Our study suggests that marriage reduces the risk of acute coronary events and death due to acute coronary events in both men and women and at all ages,” said lead researcher Aino Lammintausta, M.D., of Turku University Hospital. “Furthermore, especially among middle-aged men and women, being married and cohabiting are associated with considerably better prognosis of incident acute coronary events both before hospitalization and after reaching the hospital alive.”
During American Heart Month in February, the reasons why marriage seems to impact the incidence of heart attacks is worthy of note.
For instance, the researchers surmised that many singles are likely to have poorer health overall because they may have lower incomes and less social support from family and friends than married couples. When people are part of a couple, they also tended to receive better care in hospitals and at home after they are discharged with someone to look after them.
The researchers also noted the importance of post-hospital care that includes keeping cholesterol and blood pressure in check. Eating a heart-healthy diet and taking a dietary supplement such as CholesterLite from Dr. Newton’s Naturals helps people maintain cardiovascular well-being.