According to the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, marriage appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks for both men and women. Unlike past studies which have mostly been done on men, this new study included both sexes.
This study suggests that marriage reduces the risk of acute coronary events and the deaths caused by them. This includes both men and women of all ages. Middle-aged aged men and women also do considerably better when being married with prognosis of acute coronary events both before and after hospitalization.
This study included more than 15,300 people who suffered heart attacks between 1993 and 2002. Among these people about 7,700 died within 28 days of their attack.
Looking at the role marriage might play in having a heart attack, the researches found that unmarried men were 58-66% more likely to have a heart attack and single women 60-65% more likely when comparing the members of married couples. The risk of dying for a heart attack was even greater for single men and women. For single men, the risk of dying within the 28 days of a heart attack was 60-168% than married men and 71-175% higher than for married women.
The odds of dying from a heart attack were increased for unmarried men and women regardless of age, compared with similar-aged married couples.
Though researchers don’t know the specifics of the effects of marriage, they do have a few ides. Single people may be more likely to be in poor health. Married people may be better off financially and have healthier lifestyles such as more friends and social support. Married people are also more likely to get better care in the hospital after an even and at home, after discharge while single people are less likely to follow measures that might help prevent heart attacks such as taking daily aspirin and medications to control high blood pressure.
Though more research is needed to figure out the exact cause and effect between marital status and heart attack incidence and survival it’s looking like “for better or worse” could be taking on a whole new meaning as far as your cardiovascular health.
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