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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

In sickness and health? Signs couples live longer shouldn’t worry singletons

A couple marry in Sweden.
A couple marry in Sweden. Whether by legal contract or cohabitation, life-lengthening properties of coupledom can be observed but for single people the evidence is just more elusive. Photograph: Viken Kantarci/Getty Images

Married men are less likely to die from heart disease and women with “satisfying relationships” live longer, two recent studies suggest. The findings add to a widening strand of evidence that people in long-term relationships live longer and are less likely to suffer from conditions ranging from depression to diabetes. But does this all point towards a bleaker flipside that being single is bad for your health – and, if so, why?

It turns out that this question is harder to answer and there are also indications that the health benefits of partnership may be different for men and women and are also shifting over time.

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