Every marriage has conflict - that's just part of being married. However a new study shows that over time women who do not speak up during marital conflicts are four times as likely to die than women who express themselves openly during arguments. These same women are also more likely to have depression and irritable bowel syndrome.
These findings emerged from a 10-year study that examined heart health and overall death rates for 3,682 men and women. The researchers adjusted their calculations for other risk factors of heart disease and death, including age, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, diabetes, and cholesterol levels. Interestingly, other aspects of marriage, including self-rated marital happiness, marital satisfaction, and types and numbers of disagreements were not related to heart disease or death in women.
It seems there is a health promotion theme this week: speak up! to your partner, to your doctor. Stating openly and honestly what you're thinking and how you're feeling can improve your health and help you live longer. And if you're not feeling confident about your ability to speak your mind the next time you have a spat with your spouse, here are some tips to start. If these suggestions seem out of reach, a professional counselor also may help. Take the steps necessary to build confidence in your ability to constructively speak your mind - your quality of life and longevity may depend on it.
These findings emerged from a 10-year study that examined heart health and overall death rates for 3,682 men and women. The researchers adjusted their calculations for other risk factors of heart disease and death, including age, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking, diabetes, and cholesterol levels. Interestingly, other aspects of marriage, including self-rated marital happiness, marital satisfaction, and types and numbers of disagreements were not related to heart disease or death in women.
It seems there is a health promotion theme this week: speak up! to your partner, to your doctor. Stating openly and honestly what you're thinking and how you're feeling can improve your health and help you live longer. And if you're not feeling confident about your ability to speak your mind the next time you have a spat with your spouse, here are some tips to start. If these suggestions seem out of reach, a professional counselor also may help. Take the steps necessary to build confidence in your ability to constructively speak your mind - your quality of life and longevity may depend on it.
1 comment:
Hmmm, that's reason enough to speak up! And thanks for the links...very helpful.
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