In February, we talk of Valentines day and how important it is to celebrate the holiday with our significant other. Many people wonder if having a good relationship affect your heart or brain. This thought leads to this question Does having a loving relationship with someone support heart health ? It actually does. Now, there are studies showing the importance of healthy relationships correlating to heart and even brain health.
Lovers’ Quarrels Can Break Your Heart
The Broken Heart Syndrome is a peculiar and occasionally lethal cardiac condition that often mimics a heart attack and can be triggered by an intense emotional experience such as a marital spat or domestic abuse. These emotionally charged events lead to sudden surges in stress hormones (adrenaline) which cause a rapid and profound decline in cardiac function. Fortunately, unlike a heart attack the condition is usually reversible.
In a study published in the NEJM, 19 patients with the broken heart syndrome were mostly postmenopausal women with additional triggers included grieving over the death of a loved one, armed robbery, court appearance and public speaking.
Additional research relating spousal arguing patterns and cardiac events was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2007. The study showed that arguing with your spouse could be hazardous to your cardiovascular health and that individuals who experienced high levels of negativity in their close personal relationships — especially marriage — were 1.34 times more likely to experience chest pain, heart attacks and even sudden cardiac death.
Happy, Healthy Relationships Protect the Heart & Brain
Healthy, Loving Brains
Research says a happy wedlock may help prevent fatal strokes in men.
The study found a correlation between reported “happiness” in marriage and the likelihood that a man will die from stroke.
Data was collected from 10,000 men, all of them civil servants, beginning in 1965, the research was presented to experts at the American Stroke Association’s International Conference earlier this year.
And single men in the study were found to have a 64 percent higher risk of a fatal stroke compared to married men.
The quality of the marriage also appeared to be important. Men in an unhappy union had a 64 percent higher risk of a fatal stroke than those who reported being happy in their marriage.
Healthy, Loving Hearts
Studies show when couples in healthy, high quality marriages were told to argue about a real-life problem, their supportive and constructive behaviors during the argument seemed to lower both partners’ stress hormone levels, especially the wife’s. The couples that showed the least negativity when having a marital argument had the best immune system responses.
In addition, healthy women who reported being in highly satisfying relationships developed significantly fewer symptoms of cardiovascular disease over an 11-year period, compared to women in moderate and low-satisfaction relationships.
Have a Heart
So, have a heart and think of “Love not War” the next time you and your significant other have a heated, passionate discussion.Imagine how you fell in love with your spouse. Remember how you first met, your first kiss, a sunset and romantic walk on the beach…it will help heal your heart and brain in more ways than one.
We hope reading this article motivates you to commit time in developing healthy relationships around you. It is important to note the work of Dr. John M Kennedy which provided the content for this article.If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.
Thank you for visiting !
Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team
