Most Americans who marry say ¡°I do¡± between 25 and 30 ¡ª ages when serious illness is probably not the first thing on their minds. But in a way, tying the knot is a major health decision. For men, just being married is a predictor of living longer. For women, the picture is more complex.
Among men with prostate cancer, married men survive longer than single men; married men are also less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. And that¡¯s not because healthier men are likelier to get married. In fact, ¡°research shows the reverse is true,¡± concludes a summary of the studies by Harvard Health Publishing. ¡°Unhealthy men actually marry earlier, are less likely to divorce, and are more likely to remarry.¡±
¡°There is a huge literature showing that husbands benefit from their wives¡¯ support in terms of mortality and health outcomes ¡ª much more than the other way around,¡± says Joan Monin, an associate professor of public health at the Yale School of Medicine. (Most of the research focuses on opposite-sex couples.)
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