For a long time, there has been a sarcastic saying that marriage can raise blood pressure levels. Now, a new study claims that "it is more than just a myth and that couples are more likely to suffer from this deadly condition." Researchers wanted to test whether many couples with similar interests, living environments, lifestyle habits, and health outcomes might also share a condition of high blood pressure.
They analyzed blood pressure measurements from 1,086 English couples, along with 3,989 American couples, 6,514 Chinese couples, and 22,389 Indian couples. Individuals were recorded as having high blood pressure if their systolic blood pressure was above 140 mmHg, or their diastolic pressure was higher than 90 mmHg, or if they answered affirmatively when asked if they had a history of high blood pressure.
The researchers found that "about 47% of couples in England, with an average age of 74.2 for men and 72.5 for women, suffer from high blood pressure, which is higher than the 38% in the United States, 21% in China, and 20% in India." Compared to married women whose husbands do not have high blood pressure, women married to men with high blood pressure were 9% more likely to have high blood pressure. Similar associations were observed among husbands with wives and high blood pressure, according to the findings published in the American Heart Association Journal.
Experts stated that "the results highlight the potential benefits of using couple-based approaches to diagnose and manage high blood pressure, such as couple screening, skill training, or joint participation in programs, rather than treating individuals separately."
