Are married people less prone to heart diseases? Study says yes

Married people are at a lower risk of heart diseases in comparison to their single counterparts, researchers at the Aston Medical School in Birmingham, England, have said.

According to the researchers, this may be due to the support they give each other.

Such couples are said to be better at managing risk factors of heart disease.

The researchers examined a large database of anonymous hospital patient records in northern England.

They looked at survival rates among 929,552 people who had 3 main risk factors of heart disease – high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes – between 2000 and 2013.

After adjusting for other factors, they found that people with high cholesterol had a 16.4% higher chance of being alive at the end of the study period if they were married, compared to being single.

The same was true for diabetes (14%) and high blood pressure (10%).

The researchers however said their conclusion should not be taken as a reason to get married but an inducement to build strong support networks among family and friends.

According to them, they believe their findings demonstrate the need for better social support for single people admitted to hospital with heart problems.

The findings are being presented at the British Cardiovascular Society Conference in Manchester.