Marital Stress is Harder on Women

Marital Stress takes a greater toll on Women's Health says a new study of nearly 300 couples ranging in age from 30 to 70 married an average of 20 years, who reported conflict in their marriages.

The study measured things such things as feelings of warmth and emotional support, fighting,, hostility, arguments over kids, money, in-laws, symptoms of depression and more.

Psychologist Tim Smith says it's fairly common knowledge that stressful relationships increase the risk for cardio vascular diesease in both sexes. But bad marriages were shown to be more unhealthy for women.

The study at the University of Utah found women who reported stressful marriages are much more likely to be at risk for heart disease and strokes Men and women in bad marriages both feel depressed, but only women suffer from high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, stroke and heart disease because of it.

Waist circumference, along with good/bad cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, and triglycerides were some of the markers measured, which taken alone are important health risk indicators. Taken together they are known as metabolic syndrome.

Abdominal fat is an indicator of metabolic syndrome and it is an especially important indicator becuase it is much more "metabolically active" than fat deposited elsewhere. In other words, it has more negative impact on your health and physiology than other fat.

Researches conclude that women value the quality of relationships more and pay more attention to stressful situations, so when it's not going well they are more aware and more concerned than men.

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