Negative Relationships Boost Heart Disease Risk by 34%..
Marriages and close friendships marked by negativity -- such as conflict and adverse exchanges -- boost the risk of heart disease, according to a new study.
"Those in a negative relationship were 34% more likely to have a coronary event in the 12 years of follow-up," says Roberto De Vogli, PhD, MPH, a researcher for the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Even after taking into account other factors that could contribute to heart disease, such as depression, men and women with negative aspects in relationships still had a 25% increase in heart disease risk over the follow-up period, says De Vogli, an epidemiologist at University College London. "We found the effect is there not only for married people," he says, but also for unmarried people who have negative relationships with close friends.
Putting It in Perspective
In past research, De Vogli tells WebMD, many researchers have found that social relationships, including marriage, are associated with better health and less cardiovascular disease. "The more friends, the better" has been the assumption.
Yet there were contradictory findings, he says, on the health benefits of social support and the limited protective effects of being married on heart disease risk among women.
"We expanded the debate [to be] about the quality of social relationships rather than the quantity," he says.
Marriages and close friendships marked by negativity -- such as conflict and adverse exchanges -- boost the risk of heart disease, according to a new study.
"Those in a negative relationship were 34% more likely to have a coronary event in the 12 years of follow-up," says Roberto De Vogli, PhD, MPH, a researcher for the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Even after taking into account other factors that could contribute to heart disease, such as depression, men and women with negative aspects in relationships still had a 25% increase in heart disease risk over the follow-up period, says De Vogli, an epidemiologist at University College London. "We found the effect is there not only for married people," he says, but also for unmarried people who have negative relationships with close friends.
Putting It in Perspective
In past research, De Vogli tells WebMD, many researchers have found that social relationships, including marriage, are associated with better health and less cardiovascular disease. "The more friends, the better" has been the assumption.
Yet there were contradictory findings, he says, on the health benefits of social support and the limited protective effects of being married on heart disease risk among women.
"We expanded the debate [to be] about the quality of social relationships rather than the quantity," he says.
![sad.gif](http://4.<a href="http://www.forumer.com">forumer</a>.com/html/emoticons/sad.gif)
![laugh.gif](http://4.<a href="http://www.forumer.com">forumer</a>.com/html/emoticons/laugh.gif)
![biggrin.gif](http://4.<a href="http://www.forumer.com">forumer</a>.com/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)
![bcmf/signgoodluck.gif](http://4.<a href="http://www.forumer.com">forumer</a>.com/html/emoticons/bcmf/signgoodluck.gif)