Are Married People Actually Healthier? It's Complicated.

Study after study says that married people live longer, healthier lives than their single and divorced counterparts. But is it really true?  The latest is a new study from Carnegie Mellon University, which found that married people have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than non-married and previously married people. The findings, which are slated for publication in the April issue of the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, suggest that marriage may improve overall health by acting as a defense against psychological stress.  “It’s exciting to discover a physiological pathway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease,” Brian Chin, a Ph.D. student at the university and study co-author, said in a statement.  For the study, the researchers took saliva samples from 572 healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 21 and 55, who were either single, married or previously married. Multiple samples were taken over a 24-hour period during three non-consecutive days.  The results showed that married people had lower cortisol levels overall than single or divorced people, and also that they had faster cortisol declines ― a hormonal pattern that’s been associated with improved health outcomes ― over the course of the day.  It’s well-established that people with lower cortisol levels tend to be healthier. High cortisol levels promote inflammation, which can in turn elevate the ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news