Marriage and Risk of Death

We’ve known for a long time that there are health benefits to being married. Now there is more evidence In a study published in the Journal of the American heart Association. Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta found that people with cardiovascular disease who were not married –- including those who were divorced, separated, widowed or never married –- had 24 percent higher rates of death from any cause during the study period, compared to those who were married. Divorced and separated people had a 41 percent increased risk of death; widowed people had nearly double that risk. Being unmarried was also associated with a higher risk of death from cardiovascular causes, like heart attacks and strokes. This was a large study of more than 6000 people with heart disease, aged 50 to 70.,

The researchers say this contributes to a growing body of work showing how social relationships, particularly the disruption of these relationships through divorce or widowhood, can have major consequences for our health.