Say "I Do" to Avoid a Stroke

From the perspective of good health, there are a lot of compelling reasons for a man to tie the knot. Study after study shows that married men are healthier and live longer than single men. The latest shows that married men are also less likely to have a fatal stroke. But only if their marriage is a happy one.

A team of researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel conducted a study of 10,000 men. At the start of the study, they asked the men (who had an average age of 49) to fill out a form indicating if they were single or married. If they were married, they were asked to rate the success of the marriage. Thirty-four years later, the researchers checked in to see who had died of a stroke and who hadn’t.

Single men had a 64% higher risk of fatal stroke than married men. And men in unhappy marriages also had a 64% higher rate of stroke than the happily married men.

The researchers expected the single guys would have more fatal strokes than the married guys. But the fact that unhappy marriages also increased the risk of stroke surprised them. I’m not too shocked, however. One of the best ways to stay healthy is to do what you feel good doing, whether it’s at feeling good at work or in your marriage. Feeling good — centered, happy, and joyful — is a sign that you’re in alignment with your psyche or soul. And that’s the essence of good health.

To read the study, see "Happy Marriage Cuts Men's Risk for Stroke" at Bloomberg Businessweek.