Bad Relationships Increase the Risk of Heart Disease

Here's another reason to work on your relationship. A new study from London concludes that the negative aspects of a relationship such as not confiding in or not feeling close to your partner can increase the risk of coronary heart disease by 34%.

Dr Roberto De Vogli (University College, London, UK) and colleagues studied 9011 British civil servants (6114 men and 2897 women) and assessed negative aspects of close relationships and other social-support measures with a questionnaire. Of these subjects, 80% cited marriage or a partnership as their closest relationship. Associations between negative aspects of relationships and coronary events were determined during an average of 12.2 years of follow-up.

After adjustment for a number of factors, including sociodemographic, biological (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cholesterol levels), and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, and fruit and vegetable consumption), they found that people who experienced negative aspects of a close relationship had a 34% higher risk of incident coronary events than those who did not.

Although women and people in a lower socioeconomic classes were more likely to be exposed to negative aspects of a close relationship, there was not a significant difference in their risk for developing heart disease. Negative interactions in close relationships produced similar effects on coronary events regardless of sex and social position.

More studies are needed to examine the neuroendocrine and inflammatory changes which may be triggered by emotional events and therefore increase the risk of heart disease.

References: De Vogli R, Chandola T, and Marmot MG. Negative aspects of close relationships and heart disease. Arch Intern Med 2007; 167:1951-1957.

Image courtesy of: Richard Edwards, Angry Couple.