A recent study has shown that married couples who spend their whole lives together have similar health risks. (Image : Kobizmedia / Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Dec.4 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent study has shown that married couples who spend their whole lives together have similar health risks. There was a two to three times higher chance that a wife would be at risk for cardiovascular disorders when her husband was also at risk for the same type of illness.
Professor Kim Young-sik and his team at ASAN Medical Center’s Department of Family Medicine reported the results of their study on 520 couples aged between 40 and 74 who visited 22 large hospitals across the nation between 2009 and 2011.
In situations where one of the spouses had hyperlipidemia and high blood pressure, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disorders, the other spouse had a 2.5 times higher risk of hyperlipidemia and risk of high blood pressure that was twice as high as usual.
The chances of a spouse suffering from depression or obesity increased by 3.8 times and 1.7 times respectively when the other person suffered from similar conditions.
The research team’s analysis revealed that similar lifestyles and eating habits influence the incidence of disease.
Of note, when one spouse skipped breakfast, the other spouse was seven times more likely to also skip breakfast. In couples where one spouse didn’t exercise, the other was 2.4 times more likely to also abstain from exercise.
Professor Kim explained that the reason susceptibility to illness increases is because married couples develop similar lifestyles as they live together in the same environment after marriage.
The results of the study were announced at the fall academic symposium of the Korean Society for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.
By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
