I remember growing up, the magic of a beautiful wedding, the bride in a flowing white gown and veil taking her groom’s hand, smiling, happy, wedded bliss! Life couldn’t get much better than that, right? As the years moved on, the happy couple developed a daily routine, some days running parallel lives, others coming together to celebrate, grieve, or just be. Interesting how two people from totally different backgrounds can manage to “become one” and maintain their individuality and commonality at the same time! 

You will be happy to know that now scientists are in agreement with the “wedded bliss” idea! Yep, according to a review of the CAMI registry (China Acute Myocardial Infarction), those patients who are married have a better chance of surviving longer after a heart attack! We all know that heart attack is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide but the impact of marital status on care quality, in-hospital mortality, and long-term prognosis was unknown until now? 

This study suggests that being unmarried is independently related to less reperfusion and is substantially associated with increased risk of adverse events over at least the first 24 months post-acute heart attack. This could be attributed to many things but is likely associated with a lack of long-term social support. Marital status may affect medical decision-making, and having a spouse to help with decisions might explain why unmarried patients have worse outcomes. So, next time your spouse nags you about your next wellness check, give them a hug and thank them! Stay well and stay informed!