Negative Consequences of Unsuccessful Marriages: Higher Mortality Risk for Men

According to a study from Israel, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, men who are dissatisfied with their married life may be at an increased risk of stroke and death.

London, UK (Merxwire) – How does marital satisfaction affect people? Negative outcomes may increase mortality in men! The research data comes from a database that began to be collected in the 1960s. The researchers tracked and analyzed 10,000 Israeli men for 32 years. At the study’s beginning, most participants were in their 40s.

Researchers led the study from the School of Public Health at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University: Prof. Uri Goldbort from the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, who initiated and managed the long-term study; Dr. Shahar Lev -Ari, the head of the Department of Health Promotion; and Dr. Yiftah Gapner, from the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.

Early in the study, the participants were asked to rank their level of satisfaction with their marriage from one (very successful) to four (unsuccessful).

Studies have shown that men who describe unsuccessful marriages have a significantly higher risk of stroke and death. Compared with those who believed their marriage was successful, those who believed their marriage was unsuccessful had a 19% increase in death rate and a 69% increase in the risk of dying from a stroke.

Researchers also found that men who believe their marriages are unsuccessful are more than 20% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and being overweight.

“It’s important to note that we observed a higher risk among relatively young men, under the age of 50,” Dr. Shahar Lev-Ari, was quoted as saying in the study. “At a higher age, the gap is smaller, perhaps due to processes of adjustment that life partners go through over time.” “The results of our study suggest that marital dissatisfaction may predict an elevated risk of all-cause mortality.”