Marriage Good for Health

Please note, this is HAPPILY married couples. Poor Silda Wall Spitzer, her blood pressure probably hasn't improved with the latest events.

From Newswise:

Newswise — New research shows that happily married adults have lower blood pressure than singles with supportive social networks, suggesting marriage may literally be a matter of the heart.

Brigham Young University professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad found that men and women in happy marriages scored four points lower on 24-hour blood pressure than single adults. Having a network of supportive friends did not translate into improved blood pressure for singles or unhappily marrieds, which surprised Holt-Lunstad and her two student collaborators.

“There seem to be some unique health benefits from marriage,” said Holt-Lunstad, whose findings will be published March 20 in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. “It’s not just being married that benefits health - what’s really the most protective of health is having a happy marriage.”