Clever wives stop heart attacks
Being married to an intelligent woman can halve a man's risk of a heart attack, says a study.
It suggests that having a well-educated wife helps lower a husband's blood pressure. Another explanation may be that brainier women enforce better lifestyles in the family.
The study, details of which are published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Epidemiology, found a strong link between the total years of education a wife had and the health of her spouse.
The effect was seen in all couples, regardless of how educated a husband was, except for those men who had very little formal education.
Dr Grace Egeland, research chair in environment, nutrition, and health at McGill University in Canada, who led the study, said the greatest protective effect was seen in men who had studied to A-level and university degree level, with wives who were similarly well-educated.
'Men with more than 11 years of education married to a woman with greater than 11 years of education had a 50 per cent reduction in heart disease mortality compared to equally well-educated men married to women with a lower levels of education,' the researchers said. Men married to less well-educated women were more likely to be overweight and have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as having more sedentary lifestyles and being twice as likely to smoke.
The research was based on a sample of 20,000 married men aged 35 to 56 in Norway. In 6,221 of the marriages, wives had an educational level lower than their husband, while 8,795 had the same education, and 5,022 wives were better-educated.
The researchers say better-educated women may have a more protective effect on the health and lifestyle of their husbands, influencing them to eat a good diet, stop smoking and seek medical advice.
They may also help improve the economic status of a household, minimising stress on the husband.
However, previous research suggests that a wife with a successful career can leave her husband depressed and worried - because she wants to discuss her employment pressures after a day's work.
