Men with better marriages have healthier cholesterol and blood pressure than their divorced peers, according to a new UK study.
The researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Glasgow asked over 600 men to rate the ‘quality’ of their marriage six years apart. 12 years later, they measured their risk factors for heart disease including weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Men who described the marriages as ‘improving’ had better cholesterol readings and healthier weights, even years later.
Bad news for bad relationships
But when their relationships went downhill, so did their measurements. Men with ‘deteriorating’ marriages had blood pressure an average of 2.74 points higher than their ‘improving’ counterparts.
It’s not the first study to show that married men have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and stroke.
The researchers speculate that this is because men are usually more dependent on their partners while women have wider social networks and other ways of coping – even suggesting that men in bad relationships should consider ending them for the sake of their health.
We think that’s a step too far – but marriage counselling anyone?
