Healthy living
Mind matters
Marital strife increases health worries for women
Women in unhappy marriages are at greater risk of developing heart disease than those living in marital harmony, say researchers
The study looked at nearly 300 couples aged between 40 and 70 who had been married for more than 20 years. The couples were asked to complete detailed questionnaires about their relationship and emotional health.
Positive aspects of marriage included mutual support, emotional warmth and confiding in each other while negative aspects were things like arguments, hostility and disagreements over topics such as money, children and in-laws.
All the participants were also tested for ‘metabolic syndrome’ – a collection of symptoms known to increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Symptoms include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low levels of HDL or ‘good cholesterol’ and an expanding waistline.
The team conducted at the University of Utah in the US found that women in strained marriages were more likely to feel depressed and suffer metabolic syndrome than their happily married counterparts.
Interestingly, an unhappy marriage was not found to be a recipe for heart disease in husbands. Although men reporting marital strife were more likely to be depressed like their unhappy female counterparts, no similar link with metabolic syndrome was found. The researchers, presenting their findings at a meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society in Chicago, suggest that this could be because women tend to be more sensitive and responsive to relationship problems than men.
‘We hypothesized that those who reported experiencing more conflict, hostility and disagreement with their spouses would be more depressed, which in turn would be associated with a higher risk of heart disease due to metabolic syndrome,’ says study author, Nancy Henry, a doctoral student in psychology. ‘We found this was true for wives in this study, but not for husbands.’
So what should women do to avoid the heart troubles of a stormy marriage? While warning of the risks of heart ache the researchers stop short of advising women to steer clear of men altogether.
'There is good evidence they (women) should modify some of the things that affect metabolic syndrome - like diet and exercise - but it's a little premature to say they would lower their risk of heart disease if they improved the tone and quality of their marriages - or dumped their husbands,' says Tim Smith, psychology professor and study co-author.
ߢThe immediate implication is that if you are interested in your cardiovascular risk — and we all should be because it is the leading killer for both genders — we should be concerned about not just traditional risk factors (such as blood pressure and cholesterol) but the quality of our emotional and family lives.ߣ
Cathy Ross Cardiac nurse for the British Heart Foundation says that it is important that women recognise that an unhappy relationship can lead to problems with heart health.
‘If someone is depressed or anxious they may choose coping mechanisms like comfort eating, smoking or drinking to help them through – these are habits that can lead to cardiovascular disease,’ says Ross. ‘The important thing is to recognise the problem and find healthy ways to resolve the issues – a brisk walk can be a great way be clear your head and stay fit at the same time. In the long term it is important to address the root cause of the stress or depression.’
British Heart Foundation www.bhf.org.uk
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
