Surprising new studies have found a new factor in preventing heart attacks-a happy marriage. Not just any marriage will help your heart-it has to be a healthy and happy one. Although single people have been found to suffer from heart attacks and other diseases more than those who are married, people in unhappy relationships may also have health problems.

Researchers with the Pittsburgh Healthy Women Study studied whether a good marriage could lower the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. They collected information on 413 middle aged women at the beginning of the study and three years after, following up around 11-12 years later. They also assessed the health of the women at the beginning of the study. What they found was that women who were in consistently satisfying marriages had a 3.18 higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Widows had a much higher chance-5.69. Divorced women tended to have a higher risk, but single women did not.

A different study published in the Annals of Behavioural Medicine found that people who had negative encounters with their spouse had much higher blood pressure than those who were in a happy relationship. The stress of a bad relationship can cause adrenaline levels to increase, blood pressure to rise, and even blood vessels to spasm. Furthermore, if you are going to fight with your partner it is best to get your feelings out in the open. Women who keep their feelings pent up while arguing with their spouse have a four times greater risk of dying from anything than those who do not.

When you are having marital troubles it is smart to not only seek counseling for your marriage, but to tell your doctor. He or she should be aware of any increase in stress levels so that your health can be monitored more closely and they may be able to recommend some stress relief such as exercise or other changes in lifestyle.