Marriage helps heart patients recover better, says research

Do you have lolos and lolas with heart disease?

According to a new study, married patients are more likely to get a complete recovery from heart surgery than single or separated ones.

The study checked up on over 1500 heart surgery patients after their procedure to see how they were doing two years later.

The results were quite astonishing, as unmarried patients were 40% more likely to pass away or develop new conditions two years after their surgery.

Most heart doctors say that successful procedures can only extend life by at most two years, so it’s very interesting to look for patterns in patients who survive after the two year mark without new illnesses.

Doesn't have to be a spouse

Before, according to surgeon Dr. Ashish Shiah, doctors judge whether a procedure is successful based on how well they cut, tied and stitched up the patient.

Now, experienced surgeons know better. They always ask about who lives with the patient and who takes care of them.

According to the authors of the study, marriage may not be the main reason for how the patients do well. They’re beginning to look at how the patient is doing at home.

Researchers think that it doesn’t matter if a person is married, but that they have someone who is there to monitor their diets, make sure they drink their meds and support them. The success of the surgery may be even more dependent on patient aftercare than researchers think.

So if you have grandparents or parents recovering from major heart surgery, taking very good care of them after surgery definitely helps!

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Also read: Make your marriage last: Secrets to what makes a happy marriage