Unmarried heart disease patients have an increased risk of death: Researchers

New Delhi: Are you a heart patient and single? You may be at a increased risk of death, researchers have said.

According to a study, in comparison to heart patients who were married, their unmarried counterparts were associated with a higher risk of dying.

"I was somewhat surprised by the magnitude of the influence of being married has (on heart patients)," said lead researcher Arshed Quyyumi, Professor of Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, US.

"Social support provided by marriage, and perhaps many other benefits of companionship, are important for people with heart disease," Quyyumi said.

The study of 6,051 patients (average age 63) undergoing cardiac catheteristion for coronary artery disease showed poor outcomes specifically among those who were divorced, separated, widowed or never married.

The researchers followed the patients for nearly four years.

The findings showed that compared to married patients, being unmarried was associated with 24 percent higher risk of death from any cause and 45 percent higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

And specifically, the risk of heart attack was 40 percent higher for those who were never married, the study said.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

(With IANS inputs)