A 34 year-long study of 10,000 civil servants suggests that a happy marriage may help prevent fatal strokes in men.
Researchers found a correlation between reported "happiness" in marriage and the likelihood that a man will die from stroke. The study was presented at the American Stroke Association's International Conference earlier this year.
Men were surveyed about their happiness levels and marital status; 34 years later, a follow-up study determined how many of the men died from stroke. Single men were found to have a 64% higher risk of a fatal stroke than married men. The quality of the marriage appeared to matter as well ― men in an unhappy union had a 64% higher risk of a fatal stroke than those who reported being happy in their marriage.
"The association we've found adjusts for factors such as age, blood type and cholesterol levels," said Tel Aviv University's Prof. Uri Goldbourt. The results of the study, however, are only preliminary, taking into consideration only a few of many possible variables while laying the groundwork for future research. The survey measured fatal strokes only, not those that were survived, for example. And similar data was not collected from women.
While many studies today report the benefits of marriage, the negative effects of an unhappy marriage may be hidden. It is plausible that a bad marriage is just as bad for one's health as not being married at all.
Prof. Goldbourt describes his new research as "a hypothesis generator" instead of statistical proof, because only about 4% of the men reported being completely satisfied and happy in their marriage. And the study didn't include follow-up research on the different kinds of strokes men can succumb to. "Happiness may very well likely create healthier men and reduce the risk of a fatal stroke," he says, "but we don't have all the information necessary to say that this is the magic bullet."
Previous medical studies have suggested that happiness can stave off the flu, promote positive cardiac health, and may even help people fight cancer. Much more research is needed on the happiness question, Prof. Goldbourt says, taking into account such factors as medication and the effects of happiness over time.
