Science offset : marriage that lasts, guarantee strong bones

The marriage decidedly good . It allows men to keep stronger bones , but on two conditions : that it be sustainable and it takes place after 25 years. For women , however , the criteria are more stringent : he must be happy.

This is a study for the less original than just published in the journal Osteoporosis International. It reveals that in certain situations , the marriage may be beneficial for bone health . What link is there between the two events ? The researchers will try to find later.
The context: marriage, a health benefit ?

Go back in time. In 1858 precisely . At the time, a British doctor named William Farr seeks to verify his intuition : marriage is it beneficial for health? He leads a statistical study on the French population , it classifies into three categories: married couples a hand, then single, then widowed last. By studying the average age of death of people in each of these categories , he realizes that marriage can live longer than celibacy , while widowhood leads to an earlier end . He opened a channel.

Others since have borrowed. Numerous studies show the benefits of a union dedicated health : less pneumonia, cancer, heart attack, surgery or even senile dementia . Is it by all means find someone to say yes ? Not necessarily meet the further investigations. For indeed, the benefits are optimal only if the marriage is happy. Otherwise , the advantages evaporate, and even a bachelor enjoys longer life .

A new study by Carolin Crandall , University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) , confirms these findings more or less , but in an area hitherto never correlated to love: skeletal health .
The study : the loving stability strengthens bones

This work is based on the results of 632 Americans (294 men and 338 women) who were recruited between 1995 and 1996 when they were between 25 and 75 years. Nine years later, in 2004 and 2005, they got a second interview during which they had to answer a few questions about their lives and lifestyle. They were also tested by scanner to determine bone mineral density (BMD ) at the lumbar spine and hips, to measure the state of their skeleton.

It is not enough to be in two old homes . It should also be happy.
It is not enough to be in two old homes . It should also be happy. © Moriza , Flickr, cc by nc 2.0

After taking into account all the parameters that can affect bone health (smoking, menopause , etc. . ) , The authors concluded that the marriage was beneficial for men in their first marriage, and always in a stable relationship . Indeed divorced men remarried , widowed or unmarried have lower BMD at the spine, reflecting a less healthy skeleton . Requirement despite all the union had to be celebrated after 25 years, otherwise , the damage is even more important that the marriage was early .

In women , however , the result is less pronounced and also more contrast : those that are doing the best are those who are married ... and happy . Otherwise , the demineralized bone are more .
Outside eye : happiness shared a common interest

Still need to understand why and how . This will be the subject of further studies. But now , scientists may at some hypotheses to explain the adverse effect of marriage on the skeleton of the man married for 25 years. The stress caused by family responsibilities of a young example. But also economic aspects : often early marriages occur in people with low levels of education, which therefore occupy positions less valued and less well paid.

Despite some obvious biases , such as lack of longitudinal follow-up BMD , this work suggests that the loving commitment provides benefits on bone, but differently according to gender . But where the interests of both sexes come together is when couples are happy two .