STUDY- Married Couples Heart Disease Patients have Better Survival Rates

Compared to singles, husbands and wives have better odds of surviving a heart attack as well as its three biggest risk factors, according to a new UK study.

British researchers analyzed health records of 929,552 people hospitalized in England between 2000 and 2013.

Patients were categorized as single, married, divorced or widowed.

Investigators found that heart attack patients with a husband or a wife were 14% more likely than single patients to survive.

Marriage also boosted the survival odds for patients with cardiovascular risk factors, including high cholesterol by 16%, diabetes by 14% and high blood pressure by 10%.

The study, led by Dr. Paul Carter at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, England, adds to mounting evidence about the cardiac health benefits of marriage.

“Marriage, and having a spouse at home, is likely to offer emotional and physical support on a number of levels ranging from encouraging patients to live healthier lifestyles, helping them to cope with the condition and helping them to comply with their medical treatments,” said Carter.

“Our findings,” he added, “suggest that marriage is one way that patients can receive support to successfully control their risk factors for heart disease, and ultimately survive with them.”