It is always refreshing when science confirms the obvious! As if we all did not know that already!
Perhaps the key takeaway is that science and medicine have long neglected to research healthy, intimate or close human relationships and their effects on one's health. A subject too complicated, revealing, too personally close and emotional for scientists, I bet! 😊
Maybe doctors need more marriage/couple partnership consultation training and education? 😊
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Most cardiac rehabilitation programs seeking to shift this worrisome statistic focus on individuals, in the hopes that people can learn how to lower their risk and improve their cardiac health. But according to a new review, those programs all too often overlook an important component of heart health. “Considering the well-established literature highlighting that relationship quality impacts heart health, it is surprising that such a limited number of studies have targeted relationship quality in their interventions,” said co-author Heather Tulloch in a statement.
Previous studies have found that single people (whether never married, divorced, or widowed) are over 40% more likely to die from a heart attack than married people. So, the team wondered: Are programs that include a person’s partner effective at promoting heart-healthy behaviors? To find out, they examined 16 trials that involved couples.
In more than three-quarters of them, the answer was yes: involving intimate partners led to heart-healthy behavioral changes—even though all but two programs lacked a foundation in relationship science, which likely undermined their effectiveness. ..."
From the abstract:
"Social relationships, particularly the quality of intimate partnerships, play a significant role in cardiovascular outcomes and recovery. While most cardiac care focuses on individual patients, couples-based approaches may offer additional benefits to support behavior change and emotional adjustment. However, their effectiveness remains unclear.
This review evaluates the effectiveness of couples-based interventions on modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, cardiac outcomes, mental health, and relationship quality (RQ) in adults with diagnosed heart disease and their partners. We reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until May 29, 2025, involving cardiac patients and their partners. Twelve RCTs (16 articles) met inclusion criteria, involving 1,444 patient-partner dyads.
Most interventions were nurse-led and behaviorally focused. Select cardiovascular outcomes (e.g., lipid profiles, healthcare utilization) improved, though findings were inconsistent.
Health behavior improvements were reported in 77% of studies, while mental health outcomes showed mixed effects.
None of the three studies assessing RQ found significant improvements. With their primary focus on behaviour change, these couples-based interventions for patients with cardiovascular disease and their partners appear effective for improving health behaviors, with mixed evidence for cardiac and mental health outcomes.
Future research including emotional and relational components, underserved populations, validated relationship measures, and that assesses outcomes in both patients and partners are needed. In cardiac rehabilitation, a stepped care model may help tailor interventions to couples’ specific needs."
Can intimate relationships affect your heart? New study says ‘yes’ "An article in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology highlights the need to focus on emotional and relational factors to improve recovery and well-being for cardiac patients and their partners"
What a busy graphical summary! Human relationships, it's complicated!
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