Study Reveals Love Is The Key to Longevity

Maintaining physical health through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep is widely recognized as essential for longevity. However, emotional health is equally critical. Our thoughts, feelings, and actions significantly influence every aspect of our lives, including how we perceive and interact with ourselves and others. While a long-term, serious relationship isn’t a prerequisite for a happy and fulfilling life, recent research suggests that men, in particular, may benefit from having a lifelong partner.

A 2024 study published in a journal reveals that married men are four times more likely to experience “successful aging” compared to their single counterparts. The data indicates that marital status significantly impacts physical health, mental health, and social well-being, especially among men.

“Little is known about the relationship between marital trajectories in old age and successful aging. Our goal was to see whether different marital trajectories were associated with physical health and well-being, and whether these relationships varied for men and women,” explained social work doctoral graduate and lead author Mabel Ho in a press release, per Study Finds.

The study involved 7,641 participants aged 60 and older from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), all of whom met the criteria for “aging successfully.” These criteria encompassed physical wellness, psychological and emotional wellness, social wellness, and self-rated wellness.

“Successful agers” did not experience limitations or chronic pain that hindered exercise, nor did they have a history of depression, anxiety, memory issues, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Their social wellness was deemed healthy if they had “someone to confide in or talk to about themselves or their problems at least most of the time.” Additionally, these participants rated their aging process as “good” to “excellent.”

The 7,641 respondents were categorized into seven groups based on marital status: (1) never-married, (2) continuously married, (3) continuously widowed, (4) continuously divorced or separated, (5) from not married to married, (6) from married to not married, and (7) other changes.

Of the participants, 70 percent were considered “successful agers.” However, when the data was analyzed by marital status among men, it was evident that most successful agers were married or newly married. This suggests that love might be a crucial factor for longevity.

“Continuously married or newly married older adults had a higher rate of successful aging than their never-married, widowed, divorced, or separated counterparts,” the study authors wrote.

Quantitatively, men who were continuously married or became married were approximately 3.8 times more likely to experience “successful aging” than single men.

“Previous studies have shown that marriage is associated with better health outcomes for both men and women, while men who were never married generally had the poorest health outcomes,” said University of Toronto professor David Burnes, who also serves as research chair at the college’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.

While further research is needed to fully understand the correlation between marital status and longevity, Burnes hypothesizes that companionship plays a significant role.

“It may be that married people encourage each other to adopt or maintain positive health behaviors such as quitting smoking or exercising regularly,” he reasoned.

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