Practice Tip: Heart Health and Divorce

Heart Health and Divorce

Family lawyers may want to add health issues to the list of matters for which we provide guidance in light of a recent study of more than 3.5 million Americans that revealed that divorced couples are more likely to suffer from heart-related health problems as compared with their married counterparts. NYU Langone Medical Center released the results of its study in March 2014. The research analyzed a variety of heart problems, including heart attacks, clogged arteries, abdominal aneurysms, stroke risks and circulatory problems. This was the largest study to assess the link between heart health, marriage and divorce. The study was conducted from 2003 through 2008 in all 50 states. The participants ranged in age between 21 and 99, with an average age of 64. Women made up 63% of study participants. While most participants were Caucasian, the study included a large number of African-Americans (110,190), Asians (71,090), Hispanics (85,308), and Native Americans (103,081) to validate the researchers' conclusions based on race and ethnic origin.

Some of the study's key findings included: married people have a 5% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than single people; divorced people were 5% percent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, including peripheral artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and coronary artery disease; and younger married people under age 50 had a 12% lower chance of developing a heart related disease than younger single people. The study also found that among risk factors of cardiovascular disease, smoking was highest among divorced people (at 31%) and obesity was most common in single and divorced people (at 31% and 30%, respectively).

According to senior researcher, Jeffrey Berger, MD, MS, the “survey results clearly show that when it comes to cardiovascular disease, marital status does indeed matter.” While further research is needed to understand why marital status impacts heart health, Dr. Berger opined that the benefits of emotional and physical support provided by married people promote their well-being. Dr. Berger believes that “married people can look after each other, making sure their spouse eats healthy, exercises regularly, and takes medication as prescribed”; and that “a spouse can also help keep doctors' appointments and provide transportation, making for easier access to health care services.”

While this connection between heart health and divorce is probably not surprising to divorce lawyers given the adverse impact we frequently see on clients going through the process, it confirms that we should be counseling clients to pay greater attention to their health. This major U.S. study underscores the need to for divorcing people to maintain or develop relationships that will provide an emotional and physical support system to replace the support that was or should have been provided by his or her spouse.

In addition to providing legal and often financial and even psychological advice, family lawyers should also strongly encourage divorce clients to meet with their primary care physicians to monitor their heart health and raise clients' awareness of the impact divorce can have on their physical well-being. ' Julia Swain, Fox Rothschild LLP

'

Heart Health and Divorce

Family lawyers may want to add health issues to the list of matters for which we provide guidance in light of a recent study of more than 3.5 million Americans that revealed that divorced couples are more likely to suffer from heart-related health problems as compared with their married counterparts. NYU Langone Medical Center released the results of its study in March 2014. The research analyzed a variety of heart problems, including heart attacks, clogged arteries, abdominal aneurysms, stroke risks and circulatory problems. This was the largest study to assess the link between heart health, marriage and divorce. The study was conducted from 2003 through 2008 in all 50 states. The participants ranged in age between 21 and 99, with an average age of 64. Women made up 63% of study participants. While most participants were Caucasian, the study included a large number of African-Americans (110,190), Asians (71,090), Hispanics (85,308), and Native Americans (103,081) to validate the researchers' conclusions based on race and ethnic origin.

Some of the study's key findings included: married people have a 5% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than single people; divorced people were 5% percent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, including peripheral artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and coronary artery disease; and younger married people under age 50 had a 12% lower chance of developing a heart related disease than younger single people. The study also found that among risk factors of cardiovascular disease, smoking was highest among divorced people (at 31%) and obesity was most common in single and divorced people (at 31% and 30%, respectively).

According to senior researcher, Jeffrey Berger, MD, MS, the “survey results clearly show that when it comes to cardiovascular disease, marital status does indeed matter.” While further research is needed to understand why marital status impacts heart health, Dr. Berger opined that the benefits of emotional and physical support provided by married people promote their well-being. Dr. Berger believes that “married people can look after each other, making sure their spouse eats healthy, exercises regularly, and takes medication as prescribed”; and that “a spouse can also help keep doctors' appointments and provide transportation, making for easier access to health care services.”

While this connection between heart health and divorce is probably not surprising to divorce lawyers given the adverse impact we frequently see on clients going through the process, it confirms that we should be counseling clients to pay greater attention to their health. This major U.S. study underscores the need to for divorcing people to maintain or develop relationships that will provide an emotional and physical support system to replace the support that was or should have been provided by his or her spouse.

In addition to providing legal and often financial and even psychological advice, family lawyers should also strongly encourage divorce clients to meet with their primary care physicians to monitor their heart health and raise clients' awareness of the impact divorce can have on their physical well-being. ' Julia Swain, Fox Rothschild LLP

'