3/9/12: Health Benefits of Marriage Researched

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Marriage is good for your heart – in more ways than one according to a new study that shows married adults who undergo heart surgery are over three times more likely to survive the first three months after the operation.

The study, which appears in the March issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, found that the likelihood of dying post-surgery is nearly doubled for single people.

Ellen Idler, a lead author of the Pew Research Center study, said they “found that marriage boosted survival whether the patient was a man or a woman.” More than 500 patients in the study underwent either emergency or elective coronary bypass surgery.

Idler said “The findings underscore the important role of spouses as caregivers during health crises.”