Happy Relationship, Healthy Body

A happy marriage is literally good for your heart, research suggests.

Scientists have found that unhappily married people suffer more physical signs of stress, such as higher blood pressure, than those who are in good relationships.

Stress is a known trigger for heart attacks, and those who are constantly stressed are also more likely to adopt unhealthy lifestyles.

Past studies have tended to look at the impact of stress at work. The latest research has concentrated on home lives and relationships.

The study looked at 105 men and women aged between 52 and 62 who were married or in long-term relationships.

The researchers measured blood pressure and used saliva tests to show levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. They also asked the participants how stressed they felt at regular points over the course of a day.

The participants also filled in questionnaires about their relationships, covering issues such as whether their partner was critical of them and listened to them. Feelings of irritability and distress were also gauged.

The study, published in the journal Annals of Behavioural Medicine, by Julie Wheldon, science correspondent, found clear signs that those in unhappy marriages were more stressed throughout the day than those in good relationships.