Married or living with a partner are more likely to keep their blood sugar at normal levels, no matter how harmoniously the couple coexists, according to a new international study.

Previous research has shown that marriage and cohabitation have various health benefits, especially for older adults. In addition, loneliness, social isolation, and lack of social support in general are associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The quality of the relationship didn’t matter

Researchers from Canada and Luxembourg, led by Dr. Katherine Ford from the University of Luxembourg and Carleton University in Ottawa, who made a corresponding publication in the British journal of diabetes research BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, analyzed more than ten years of data on 3335 people aged 50-89 years without a diagnosis of diabetes at the start of the study. Participants had their blood sugar levels measured periodically, as well as their marital status and other factors (income, job, smoking, exercise, depression, weight, social media, etc.).

Marriage/cohabitation has been found to reduce the likelihood of diabetes, while separation/divorce or loss of a partner due to death has been found to increase the likelihood of prediabetes or diabetes. The quality of the relationship did not appear to play as much of a role as the ongoing relationship in marriage/partner.

Source: RES-IPE