Love-Heart Health Connection

It's heart month...a great time to think about heart health. Everyone knows that heart disease is the leading cause of death but alot probably are not aware of the how love affects the (literal) heart. Here are a few tidbits that research has found out recently. One Yale study showed that men who felt they were loved had less blockage in their arteries compared to those men who did not feel treasured. Another study showed men who felt their wives didn't show them love had twice as much chest pain (angina) compared to men who felt love from their wives. This was despite cardiovascular risk factors. A study out of San Diego University and the University of Pittsburgh found women who were happily married or living with a partner had lower cardiovascular risk factors. This studies concluded that blood pressure and cholesterol levels are better in happily partnered couples rather than those who were unhappily married or unmarried. Just spending time with your partner has heart health benefits according to the Pittsburgh Health Heart Project. This study found that men who spent more time interacting with their spose had less arterial thickening over a 3-year period. Everyone knows the good warm feelings of a hug. Doctors from the University of North Carolina found that daily hugging has heart health benefits also. So this is heart month reach out and hug someone today!