Is Marriage Good for your Heart?
An old marriage joke proclaims that marriage is not a word. It is a sentence. A life sentence.
Despite the way most marriage jokes end, a new study from Tel Aviv University suggests that marriage might not be such an awful thing after all: a happy marriage may help prevent fatal strokes in men.
Previous medical studies have suggested that overall happiness (whether a result of marriage or not) can have some amazing health benefits: keeping the flu away, reducing the risk of different heart ailments, and even fighting cancer.
However, Professor Uri Goldbourt of Tel Aviv University’s Neufeld Cardiac Institute is the first to look specifically at the relationship between the quality of marriage and fatal stroke risk. Since 1965, Prof. Goldbourt has drawn data from 10,000 men, finding that single men had a 64% higher risk of dying from a stroke than married men. Married men in unhappy marriages had a 64% higher risk of dying from a stroke than those who reported being happy in their marriages. The research was presented this year at the American stroke Association’s International Conference.
Prof. Goldbourt cautions though that while his study controls for factors such as age, blood type, and cholesterol levels; there are many other variables which should be controlled in future research. He hopes younger researchers will use his research as a foundational study on the topic.
Despite the fact that marriage may lead to happier hearts in men, there might be some truth to all the old marriage jokes after all: Dr. Goldbourt observed that only 4% of the men in his study reported being completely satisfied and happy with their marriage.
For more information click here.
Photo courtesy of qthomasbower on flickr.com, used under Creative Commons License.
6 comments:
Marriage is one of the most sacred ceremonies that we humans experience. Being married also gives us happines.;:’
[Reply]
marriage is great specially if you have found a very special someone that is beautiful both on the inside and outside.:`;
[Reply]
marriage is one of the happiest moments that a person will experience in his/her life,”.
[Reply]
marriage is the best thing that could happen between a man and a woman.:’
[Reply]
i really love to be in a great marriage with a pretty and loving wife;,”
[Reply]
Very interesting article, now I think I will never marry!
Thanks for the info by the way.
[Reply]
Leave a reply