An American study has found that partners in happy marriages have lower blood pressure than single people. Blood pressure was monitored over a 24 hour period in 204 married and 99 single men and women. High marital quality was found to be associated with lower blood pressure, lower stress levels, less depression and higher satisfaction with life generally.
Single individuals however, had lower blood pressure than those in unhappy marriages. Having a supportive network of friends did not appear to moderate the effects of being single or unhappily married.
(Is There Something Unique About Marriage? The Relative Impact of Marital Status, Relationship Quality, and Network Social Support on Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Mental Health. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, April 2008.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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