Happy Home and Health

Women who report being satisfied with their marriages have a significantlylower risk of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of signs includinghypertension, high serum lipids, glucose intolerance, and a large waistsize—according to a recent study by researchers at University ofPittsburgh and San Diego StateUniversity.

Investigators recruited 413 middleaged women from the Pittsburgh HealthyWomen Study, an ongoing long-term project to study behavior and health. Thewomen completed a survey to measure marital satisfaction. The survey soughtinformation about time spent with a spouse, sexual satisfaction, financialstresses, and other domestic issues.

Compared with women who are satisfied in their marriages, those whodescribe themselves as dissatisfied have three times the risk of metabolicsyndrome. Women who were divorced had about 2.5 times greater risk, and widowswere nearly 6 times more likely to have metabolic syndrome, according toresearchers. Single women and those who were “moderatelysatisfied” did not have a risk substantially different from those whoreported marital satisfaction.

Evaluation of female patients should include assessment of marital quality,the researchers conclude. Appreciating the link between marital quality andmetabolic syndrome may help efforts directed at prevention and earlytreatment.