Living with a spouse or cohabitating with a partner may help adults keep their blood glucose levels in check, new research suggests. And it doesn't even have to be an ideal union.
Living with a spouse or cohabitating with a partner may help middle-aged and older adults keep their blood glucose levels in check, new research suggests.
They were also asked standardized questions to determine the support or strain of the relationship, such as whether one partner felt the other understood his or her feelings or how much the spouse let the respondent down.there was improvement, an average 0.21% decrease in A1c, when participants transitioned into a marriage or domestic partnership, and the same percentage increase in A1c when participants transitioned out of the relationship.
"Likewise, if older adults want to pursue romantic relationships and new partnerships, that should also be supported," she said.Ford said reasons cited in the literature include that"when people are experiencing stress in their life, having the social support of someone could help reduce that stress."
Other health benefits of living with a partner, particularly in older age, have been well-documented in other studies. And research has linkedBut those factors are complex and less easily documented, so the researchers focused on A1c levels.