Women's greater biological reactivity to relationship ups and downs begins to answer that long standing scientific puzzle, why men, but not women, seem to experience a health benefit from being married.
A thirteen-year study of close to five hundred married women in their fifties asked the simple question, "How satisfied are you in your marriage?" The results were crystal clear: the more pleased a woman was with her marriage, the better her health. When a woman enjoyed the time she spent with her partner, felt they communicated well and agreed on matters like finances, enjoyed their sex life, and had similar interests and tastes, her medical data told the story. Levels of blood pressure, glucose, and bad cholesterol were lower for the satisfied women than for those unhappy in their marriages.
So while women appear to be more biologically vulnerable to the ups and downs in their marriage, the effects of that emotional roller coaster depend on the nature of the ride. When she has more downs than ups in her marriage, a woman's health suffers. But when her relationship gives her more ups, her health - like her husband's - benefits.
Daniel Goleman
