We know that a good number of marriages in the United States end in divorce. Maybe this contributes to many people’s unhappiness later in life.
A new study certainly appears to indicate that divorce might not only lead to figurative broken hearts, but also some major heart problems too.
At least, that appears to be the case for women.
A team of researchers out of Duke University has found that among approximately 16,000 U.S. adults aged 45 to 80, over a twenty year period, those who had been through a divorce had a higher risk for heart attack than those who had stayed married.
Furthermore, this connection appears to be stronger among women, but there is no solid evidence which suggests that a second marriage would necessarily improve her situation. In fact, women who remarry were still 35 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than a woman who stayed married with her first husband.
Now, this is not necessarily to say that divorce causes heart attacks. In many cases, divorce can lead to poor health choices. Some people—men and women—will binge eat or drink more alcohol or simply not work out as much. Call it depression, call it lack of motivation, call it whatever you want, but healthy habits are easier with a partner.
And the researchers suggest taking that into account. Lead researcher Matthew Dupre, for example, suggests that the newly divorced might want to “assess and take proactive steps to improve their cardiovascular health.”
The Duke University associate professor of community and family medicine adds, “For example, divorced women—particularly those who go through multiple divorces—may benefit from additional screening or treatment for depression.”
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