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People who are married or in a relationship at lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes

People who are married or in a relationship at lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Living with partner can have positive impact on blood levels

A study has suggested that a married couple or those who live together are at a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if they are unhappy in the relationship.

The study, conducted by experts from the University of Luxembourg and the University of Ottawa in Canada, builds on previous studies which have found that happy marriage is linked with good health benefits.

The study claims that the benefits of marriage on blood sugar levels hold true regardless of whether the relationship was happy or under strain, especially in older people.

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“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,” lead author, Katherine Ford, formerly of the University of Luxembourg and now at Carleton University in Ottawa, said, according to Guardian.

The scientist came to the conclusion after examining data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing on 3,335 adults, aged 50 to 89, who did not have diabetes at the start of the study.

The data showed that 76 per cent of people in the analysis were married or living together.

The researchers found that the nature and quality of the relationship had little to no effect to the average levels of blood glucose, indicating that having a supportive or strained relationship was less important than just having a relationship at all.

“Overall, our results suggested that marital/cohabitating relationships were inversely related to HbA1c levels regardless of dimensions of spousal support or strain,” they said.

“Likewise, these relationships appeared to have a protective effect against HbA1c levels above the pre-diabetes threshold.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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