Research How does living together in a marriage improve one's health?

Are married people generally healthier?
Do married people live healthier lives? Experts now claim from a study that marriage does improve the overall health. But it is important that the marriage works well. The researchers found that married people have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared to unmarried people or divorced spouses.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found in an investigation that married people generally carry less of the stress hormone cortisol. This leads to improved health in those affected because they are more effectively protected from mental stress. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Psychoneuroendocrinology".

How does the form of our life together affect our health? Researchers now tried to clarify this question in an investigation. (Image: BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com)

Study examines 572 adult subjects
The results of the study are quite exciting and interesting, say the experts. They may be a physiological reason for relationships to improve health and prevent disease, says author Dr. Brian Chin from Carnegie Mellon University. For their study, the researchers took the saliva samples from 572 adult volunteers between the ages of 21 and 55 years. The participants were either single, married or previously married. The saliva samples were taken over a period of 24 hours on three non-consecutive days, add the physicians.

Married people have faster declines of cortisol
The results of the study showed that married people had a lower cortisol level compared to singles and divorced persons, the researchers explain. Married people showed faster so-called cortisol declines during the day. Such hormonal patterns have been associated with improved health effects.

A high cortisol level leads to significant health problems
It is well-researched that people with lower levels of cortisol are generally healthier, the researchers say. High levels of cortisol promote inflammation, which in turn can increase the risk of a variety of health problems, including heart disease, autoimmune diseases and depression.

Study shows general health benefits of social support in marriage
These and other findings suggest that there is a link between marriage and good health and mental well-being, the researchers explain. The study appears to show the general health benefits of social support from living together in a marriage. But this also means that the institution gives the marriage special benefits for the health?

Study does not explore the difference between married and long-lived couples
However, the study shows only one correlation, no causality, say the authors. It may be that the improved health among married people simply reflects the fact that healthier people marry more often. Moreover, the results do not take into account the differences between married couples and long-term living unmarried couples.

Marital disputes can be more harmful than stress at work
During a happy marriage, it is likely that the overall health is positively supported. But we should not forget that many marriages do not happen like that, say the doctors. Bad marriages are very common and can be associated with poorer health. For example, a 2010 study found that family stress can contribute to poor immune function and high blood pressure. Marital disputes can be even worse for your health than stress at work, experts suggest. The health effects of marital stress are comparable to those of traditional risk factors such as smoking and a sedentary lifestyle, the physicians add.

Crucial is the quality of the relationship
What can one say about the health effects of marriage? Well-functioning and harmonious marriages are good for you and your health. A generalized statement that married people are generally healthier is, however, only pure fiction, explain the authors. Just because people are married, they are not automatically granted a stress-free and healthy life. Really important is the quality of the relationship, whether you are married or not, the experts add. (As)