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An unhappy marriage can break a woman's heart, figuratively
and literally. New research suggests that married women who are dissatisfied
with their relationships face a higher
risk for heart disease.
In a study of nearly 500 middle-aged women, researchers
at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania found that marital
"distress" was linked to a higher risk for heart problems, independent
of other threats to heart health such as smoking, high cholesterol and
high blood pressure. Moreover, women's marital woes appeared to be unique
from overall stress, depression and other psychological factors in their
effects on the heart.
The researchers found that women who reported marital
dissatisfaction were more likely than satisfied women to have significant
plaque buildup in the main artery of the heart. They were also
more likely to have blockages in the carotid arteries in the neck, a known
risk factor for stroke.
Of course, all marriages have their ups and downs,
and this study did not look at the normal stresses that come up from time
to time. Instead it looked at women's overall happiness with their husbands -- their
communication, amount of time spent together, sex lives and a range of
factors.
Unhappiness in a marriage may harm the heart by inflicting
"wear and tear" on the body. Like stress in general,
marital dissatisfaction may lead to habitual elevations in heart rate,
blood pressure and stress hormones. But marital problems are likely one
part the equation -- triggering behaviors that take a toll on health, including
sleeplessness and changes in eating and exercise.
Annual Meeting Of The
American Psychosomatic Society in Monterey, California March 13, 2001
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