Thomas Kamarck, professor of psychology and Biological and Health Program Chair at the University of Pittsburgh, recently co-authored a study in ScienceDaily correlating unhappy marriages with thicker carotid arteries and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Findings in the study showed spouses with marital interactions that are “light on the positive” may have an 8.5 greater risk of heart attack or stroke than those with an abundance of good feelings.
In another study, conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish, Director of the Preventive Medicine Institute in San Francisco, it was clinically proven that stress constricts coronary arteries.
Nataria Joseph, the lead author on the University of Pittsburgh study, says “What this study shows is that health care providers should look at relationships as a point of assessment. They are likely to promote health or place health at risk.
Leave a Reply