- People who think their partner is often unsupportive are more likely to develop heart disease
- Being unsupportive is actually more damaging to the arteries than overall marriage quality, say researchers
By
Emma Innes
07:38 EST, 7 February 2014
|
07:40 EST, 7 February 2014
People who do not think their partner is very supportive are more likely to have heavily calcified arteries, new research suggests
Arguing with a partner isn’t just upsetting – it’s also bad for your heart.
People who think their partner is unsupportive are more likely to develop heart disease, a study has found.
Scientists at the University of Utah found people who say their spouse is sometimes supportive but also sometimes upsetting have higher levels of artery calcification.
This suggests their arteries are diseased and they are at greater risk of premature death.
The findings showed that when both partners perceive the support they get from each other as ambivalent – that is, sometimes helpful and sometimes upsetting – each partner’s levels of coronary artery calcification tend to be particularly high.
‘There is a large body of research suggesting that our relationships are predictors of mortality rates, especially from cardiovascular disease,’ said Bert Uchino, a psychological scientist at the University of Utah.
‘But most prior work has ignored the fact that many relationships are characterised by both positive and negative aspects – in other words, ambivalence.’
Dr Uchino and his colleagues were interested in exploring how this complexity in relationships predicts cardiovascular health.
The researchers asked 136 older couples – with an average age of 63 – to fill out questionnaires measuring their overall marriage quality, as well as their perceived levels of support from their spouse.
Specifically, they indicated how helpful or upsetting their spouse was during times when they needed support, advice, or a favour. The researchers found that about 30 per
cent of individuals viewed their partner as delivering positive support,
whereas 70 per cent viewed their partner as ambivalent – sometimes
helpful and sometimes upsetting.
People who say their spouse is sometimes supportive but also sometimes upsetting have higher levels of artery calcification suggesting their arteries are more diseased
Using a CT scanner to check for overall
calcification in the participants’ coronary arteries, the researchers
found that artery calcification levels were highest when both partners
in the relationship viewed each other as ambivalent.
Being unsupportive is actually more damaging to the arteries than overall marriage quality, say researchers
When only one partner felt this way, the
risk was significantly less. The effect was independent of gender,
meaning that these associations were comparable for husbands and wives.
Given that the participants were married for an average of 36 years, one might predict that overall marital satisfaction would have a significant impact on cardiovascular disease risk – but the researchers did not find that to be the case.
It was the positive and negative aspects of lending support that were most significant in predicting cardiovascular health, suggesting that these factors exert their effects independently of overall marital quality.
It is not exactly clear why this is the case, but the researchers hypothesise that when both partners perceive each other as a source of ambivalence, it changes their behaviour toward one another.
‘The findings suggest that couples who have more ambivalent views of each other actively interact or process relationship information in ways that increase their stress or undermine the supportive potential in the relationship,’ said Dr Uchino. ‘This, in turn, may influence their cardiovascular disease risk.’
While Dr Uchino and his colleagues cannot be certain that mutual ambivalence causes higher levels of artery calcification, since the study didn’t follow participants over time, the results do provide the initial evidence necessary for further studies on relationship support and cardiovascular health.
or comment on this article
-
A Fat Girl Dancing: Awesome routine launches ‘No body shame’…
-
Porn star fears her illegal O-sized breasts could kill her
-
Adorable moment little girl sees rain for the first time
-
Tourists, journalists unsatisfied with Sochi accommodation
-
The Walking Dead pranks New York
-
Mimi O’Donnell and kids attend Philip Seymour Hoffman’s wake
-
See stars sing Sound Of Music farewell to tearful Jay Leno
-
Dramatic moment ‘cop killer’ is shot dead by police
-
Philip Seymour Hoffman during one of his last public…
-
Tragic Hoffman spoke recently of “lonely, obssessive†traits
-
Barack Obama hugs half brother as two reunite after 20 years
-
CCTV: Miami police release footage of Justin Bieber in cells
-
Stars say goodbye at Philip Seymour Hoffman’s wake: His…
-
And the gold medal for the most vile thing at Sochi goes to…
-
Beautiful photos capture family’s 10 precious days with baby…
-
One final tragic missed text message, a street drug deal, a…
-
Father reunited with his kidnapped son after EIGHTEEN YEARS:…
-
Schoolboy, 9, found hanging in his home dies in hospital…
-
Documents show PETA killed nearly 2,000 shelter animals in…
-
Police officer caught on camera handcuffing a FIREFIGHTER as…
-
Proof you can dance at ANY size: Plus-size woman’s…
-
Embarrassment deepens for Putin on eve of Winter Games, with…
-
Oprah, Jack Black and Kim serenade a tearful Jay Leno with…
-
Five-year-old girl died after she was forced to drink 70…
Comments (10)
what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
pinkie.brown,
brighton, Bahamas,
54 minutes ago
get rid of em chaps,their bad for your health…….
Spencer,
Nottingham,
1 hour ago
Is this why more men die of heart disease?
Chevronb8,
Tamworth, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
‘Couples who don’t support each other have thicker arteries’? Yeah, they have thicker skins too…
ti,
ta, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
Ah, tell that to my arguing neighbours and their family of 8 the gov put them near me, and they have not stopped with their 5 hours guaranteed figting every night, since they moved in some 4 weeks ago – I cannot wait for them to be evicted, just like the previous guys from the same part of the world. Mind you, it is well know these guys tend to live less because they are heavy smokers (I have to open the windows because of their smoke whether is raining or not in this cold weather), never exercise with their long ‘skirts’ and the eating pattern.
Peter,
London,
1 hour ago
If you are constantly arguing with your partner just leave them . Life’s too short to put up with that
John C,
Mansfield,
1 hour ago
That is why people have pet dogs.
workslave,
manchester, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
More useless research. ..
female32,
london,
1 hour ago
So if i end up having a bypass or heart attack i know who to sue!
sensiblegirl,
london, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
Lack of support from close friends is also an issue. And it affects the chances of survival of breast cancer patients. This is a topic that needs press coverage…
happiness810,
durham, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
Yes, likely because people turn to comfort eating!!
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now