Living as a couple helps maintain good blood sugar levels

People who live with a spouse seem to have a greater probability of being healthy in terms of maintaining lower blood sugar levels, regardless of how harmonious or fiery their relationship is, it suggests an online published study in the magazine BMJ Open DiabetesResearch & Amp;Care.

Researchers believe that having a spouse or a couple that cohabit can be an important relationship and a source of social support and/or tension for medium or advanced adults for their health.

Previous studies have suggested that marriage and/or cohabitation have health benefits, particularly for older adults.There are also several studies that have concluded that the risk of type 2 diabetes is associated with a series of dimensions of social health that include social isolation, loneliness, housing arrangements, social support and the size of the social network.

However, the effects of each specific dimension of social health are complex, so a team of researchers from Luxembourg and Canada prepared to investigate whether there was an association between marital status and the quality of marriage to the average glycemic levels inolder adults.

They used biomarker data from the longitudinal English Study of AringEach other wave.

The data used for the study were 3335 adults from 50 to 89 years without previously diagnosed diabetes for a period of 2004 to 2013.The sample was of pre-existing diabetes between the ages of 50 and 89 years in Ola 2 (2004-05), when biomarker data were first available in Elsa.

Pre-existing diabetes was determined by self-report. The participants were invited to a nursing visit after the main interview in cycles 2 (2004-05), 4 (2008-09) and 6 (2012-13) and samples were takenof blood to measure their HBA1C (glycemia or glucose in average blood) level also asked the respondents if they had a husband, wife or partner with whom they lived and asked questions designed to measure the level of social tension and social support withinThe marital/cohabitation relationship.

Information about several factors, such as details about age, income, employment, smoking, physical activity, depression, body mass index (BMI) and have other types of social relations in their social network (Son, another immediate relative, friend). The data showed that in wave 2 (2004-05), around three quarters (76%) of the respondents were married/cohabited.

The analysis of the data over time showed that the people who experienced marriage transitions (eg, divorce) also experienced significant changes in their HBA1C levels and probabilities of prediabetes. However, the quality of the relationship did not markA significant difference in the average blood glucose levels, which suggests that having a support or tense relationship was less important than simply having a relationship.

This was an observational study and, as such, cannot establish the cause.In fact, the study had some limitations, such as the fact that there was a considerable number of people who abandoned Elsa between waves with biomarker data.More than half of the sample of cycle 2 had no follow -up data, so it was excluded.There was also the possibility that those with worse health were more likely to divorce.

However, the authors argued that the strengths of their study included the use of HBA1C as a measure ofresulting self -informed diagnostic results;The first is a more precise measure when used in population surveys that diagnosed medical conditions depending on the participants have accessed adequate medical care before registration in the study.

The researchers concluded: “In general, our results suggested that marriage/cohabitation relationships were inversely related to HBA1C levels, regardless of the dimensions of support or conjugal tension.Likewise, these relationships seemed to have a protective effect against HBA1C levels above the prediabetes threshold.

“Greater support for older adults who are experiencing the loss of a marital or cohabitation for divorce or duel, as well as the dismantling of negative stereotypes on romantic relationships in adulthood, they can be starting points to address theHealth risks, more specifically the deterioration of glycemia regulation associated with marriage transitions in older adults. ”

Conclusions

This study focused on the association of marital relations/cohabitation with the average glycemic level in older adults, following the evidence that suggests that the types of relationships within the social network of one and the sources of social support and social tension areimportant for health results.By focusing on this type of specific relationship, we discover its relevance for the average glycemic levels of general social support, tension and network size.

In general, our results suggested that marital/cohabitation relationships were inversely related to HBA1C levels, regardless of tension dimensions or conjugal support.Likewise, these relationships seemed to have a protective effect against HBA1C levels above the prediabetes threshold.

Greater support for older adults who are experiencing the loss of a marital/cohabitation relationship by divorce or duel, as well as the dismantling of negative stereotypes on romantic relationships in adulthood, can be starting points to address risksFor health, more specifically the deterioration of glycemic regulation, associated with marriage transitions in older adults.

What is already known social health indicators, such as the size of the social network, they have various associations with the incidence and prevalence of type 2. Which provides this study of spouses/couples that cohabit can be a type of relationship particularlyimportant and a source of social support and/or tension for medium -sized adults, so we explore the specific benefits of this type of relationship between older adults.

We found to have a spouse/partner associated with lower average glycemic levels in people without pre -existing diabetes, while marital quality indicators (conjugal support/voltage) generally did not seem to have significant associations with A1C hemoglobin levels (HBA1C).

How clinical practice affects

Doctors could consider that older adults without pre -existing diabetes who are experiencing marital couple/cohabitation transitions can run a particular risk of worsening glycemic levels.

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