tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8473314104039736567.post-15163106106690282732008-03-21T19:32:00.000-07:002008-03-21T19:39:18.382-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_MA9872P768U/R-Rv_bhyaJI/AAAAAAAAAB4/do-yUiz8If8/s1600-h/KarenWhimseyValentineMain.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_MA9872P768U/R-Rv_bhyaJI/AAAAAAAAAB4/do-yUiz8If8/s320/KarenWhimseyValentineMain.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5180388606894827666" /></a><br /><br /><b>Source Publication</b>: Annals of Behavioral Medicine, March 20, 2008<br /><br /><br />In a recent study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, there seems to be evidence that suggest there are unique health benefits directly tied to a happy marriage (we define marriage as the biblical man and wife). <br /><br />Overall there were 204 married couples and 99 single adults in the study.<br /><br />"There seem to be some unique health benefits from marriage. It's not just being married that benefits health -- what's really the most protective of health is having a happy marriage," study author Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist who specializes in relationships and health, said in a prepared statement.<br /><br />The participants wore portable blood-pressure monitors for 24 hours. The monitors recorded blood pressure at random intervals and provided a total of about 72 readings.<br /><br />"We wanted to capture participants' blood pressure doing whatever they normally do in everyday life. Getting one or two readings in a clinic is not really representative of the fluctuations that occur throughout the day," Holt-Lunstad said.<br /><br />Overall, happily married people scored four points lower on the blood pressure readings than single adults. The study also found that blood pressure among married people -- especially those in happy marriages -- dipped more during sleep than in single people.<br /><br />"Research has shown that people whose blood pressure remains high throughout the night are at much greater risk of cardiovascular problems than people whose blood pressure dips," Holt-Lunstad said.<br /><br />The study also found that unhappily married adults have higher blood pressure than both happily married and single adults.<br /><br />Holt-Lunstad noted that spouses can encourage healthy habits in one another, such as eating a healthy diet and having regular doctor visits. People in happy marriages also have a source of emotional support, she said.Publishernoreply@blogger.com