Doctors have found that bachelors are twice as likely to die from heart failure

Never-married men are more likely to die after being diagnosed with heart failure. Reported by the American College of Cardiology.

Chronic heart failure occurs when the heart muscle becomes too weak or stiff to pump blood efficiently in the body. This problem is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and death and currently affects over 6 million people in the  United States .

The study was based on data on 6,800 American adults aged 45 to 84 years. Using ten years of data collected, the researchers compared survival rates among 94 participants with heart failure after diagnosis. The median follow-up period was 4.7 years, including a breakdown by gender and marital status. To separate the role of marital status from other known risk factors, the researchers adjusted for age to account for higher mortality among older adults, as well as for mental health to rule out depression.

It found that men who have never been married are twice as likely to die within about five years of being diagnosed as women of any marital status. Lifetime bachelors were about 2.2 times more likely to die than married men, but widowed, divorced, or separated men did not have an increased risk of death compared to married men. The marital status of women had no effect on their mortality rates.

Scientists have no explanation for these results. It is likely that the isolation felt by single men and the resulting stress contribute to mortality.