Happy Marriage Equals Happy Blood Pressure
A preliminary study shows that a happy marriage can lead to better blood pressure but a stressful marriage can be harmful to the blood pressure. They found that the blood pressure for a stressed marriage can be worse than for someone who is single.
Researchers said that the latter is a surprise because previous studies have shown that married people tend to be healthier than single people.
It will take further studying to find out the effect on long-term health, however.
The study involved 204 married people and 99 single adults. Most were white, and it’s not clear whether the same results would apply to other ethnic groups, Holt-Lunstad said.
Study volunteers wore devices that recorded their blood pressure at random times over 24 hours. Married participants also filled out questionnaires about their marriage.
Analysis found that the more marital satisfaction and adjustment spouses reported, the lower their average blood pressure was over the 24 hours and during the daytime.
But spouses who scored low in marital satisfaction had higher average blood pressure than single people did. During the daytime, their average was about five points higher, entering a range that’s considered a warning sign. (That result is for the top number in a blood pressure reading).
Sandy Robinson also is the blogger for her own website, Fighting Fatigue and the Fighting Fatigue Forum. On the WebbleYou Network, Sandy is co-blogger for the American Idolist blog.
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