People living with a spouse seem to have a higher likelihood of being healthy in terms of maintaining lower blood sugar levels regardless of how harmonious or acrimonious their relationship is, suggests a study published online in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

Researchers believe that having a spouse or cohabitating partner may be an important relationship and source of social support and/or strain for adults in mid to later life for their health.

Image is in the public domainNevertheless, the authors argued that their study’s strengths included the use of HbA1c as an outcome measure versus self-reported diagnoses – the former being a more accurate and precise measure when used in population-based surveys than diagnosed medical conditions, which are dependent on participants having accessed appropriate healthcare prior to study enrollment.

The researchers concluded: “Overall, our results suggested that marital/cohabitating relationships were inversely related to HbA1c levels regardless of dimensions of spousal support or strain.

“Increased support for older adults who are experiencing the loss of a marital/cohabitating relationship through divorce or bereavement, as well as the dismantling of negative stereotypes around romantic relationships in later life, may be starting points for addressing health risks, more specifically deteriorating glycemic regulation, associated with marital transitions in older adults.”

Disentangling the role of marital status and quality on average glycemic levels among adults 50 years and older in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing