Heart disease effects on unmarried women

Research has shown that being married is associated with a lower mortality from heart disease in men. But what about women?

A new study published in BMC Medicine has found similar results. The study shows that if you are a married woman, or living with a partner, you have the same risk as an unmarried woman of developing heart disease, but you are 28 percent less likely to die from it.

The study analyzed data collected for a large study of women’s health, which included 730,000 women who were on average 60 years old. The researchers took into account factors, such as age, socio-economic status and lifestyle, but the lower risk of death from heart disease among married women remained.

Why might this be the case?

According to a comment in Medical News Today, lead researcher Sarah Floud said, “Our study results suggest that it is unlikely that the lower risk of death for married women is due to a lower risk of developing heart disease, and instead it appears to be related to a woman’s response to the disease.”

Authors of the study suggest that spouses of married women encourage them to seek early medical treatment for symptoms, or that partners tend to encourage spouses to take medication and make healthy lifestyle changes.

“A spouse or significant other may be more likely to point out changes in symptoms, behaviors or unhealthy patterns that an individual may be more likely to dismiss on their own,” said Dr. Charles Jaffe, a cardiologist with Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Ill. “Family members talking to other family members about their health and well-being is a positive thing, especially if it gets patients to seek medical intervention earlier rather than later.”

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. Additionally, an estimated 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease, and 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.

Dr. Jaffe added, “If you are concerned about new or different symptoms—especially pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach; shortness of breath; nausea or sudden cold sweats—please seek medical attention right away.”