Marital bliss cuts the risk of strokes in men

According to research, if you are a man then a happy marriage can cut your risk of a stroke, reports The Daily Mail.

The study was completed by Tel Aviv University, who followed 10,059 Israeli council workers and civil servants. The investigation began back in the 60’s when the participants completed a heart disease questionnaire.

Two years later and they were asked to rate their marriage as successful or unsuccessful or to say if they have never married.

They tracked the men to 1997 to check the cause of their death and the results showed what a huge influence a loving relationship can have on health.

Those who died from strokes had their results compared with that of the questionnaires completed in the 60s. After taking into account socio-economic factors and other issues that could effect the results such as smoking and blood pressure, the researchers found a striking link between fatal stroke risk and marital status.

Although researchers have stressed that the best way to avoid a stroke is through a healthy lifestyle they also found that single men had a 64% higher risk of fatal stroke than men who were married.

Researchers also found that the quality of the marriage was important, with men in an unhappy marriage having a 64% higher risk compared to the happily married.

Other studies have come up with similar findings, for instance we know from research that stressful relationships can boost the risk of heart problems.

If you are in an unhappy marriage and find it difficult to discuss our issues wife our partner then you should consider contacting a marriage counsellor who will help you to air your issues and will get your communication back on track. It is also important to consider that no matter what your marital stature, leading a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly and consuming a diet low in saturated fat and salt are all ways to significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke.