離婚人士更易患心臟病?大綱

Divorcees are more likely to have a heart attack than their peers who stay married, US research suggests.

美國一項研究顯示，離婚人士比其他婚姻關係正常的同齡人更易患心臟病。

An analysis of 15,827 people showed women were worst affected, and barely reduced the risk if they remarried.

該研究分析了15827人後發現，女人的心臟狀況更易受到離婚的影響，並且再婚也幾乎不會減少患病機率。

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The study, published in the journal Circulation, argued that chronic stress, linked to divorce, had a long-term impact on the body.

發表於美國《循環》雜誌上的這項研究認爲，由離婚引起的長期焦慮對身體健康有持久的不良影響。

The British Heart Foundation called for more research before divorce is classed as a major heart risk.

英國心臟基金會呼籲，在離婚被視爲心臟病主要風險因素之前應進行更多研究。

We already know that the death of a close loved one can greatly increase the risk of a heart attack.

我們知道，親密愛人的死亡會增加患心臟病的風險。

Now a team at Duke University has shown a similar effect after divorce.

現在美國杜克大學的研究小組發現，離婚也有類似的不良結果。

During the course of the study, between 1992 and 2010, roughly one in three people divorced at least once.

研究從1992開始進行到2010年，過程中發現，每三人中就有一人至少離婚一次。

Women who divorced once were 24% more likely to have had a heart attack in the study than women who were continuously married. The figure was 77% for those having multiple divorces.

離過一次婚的女性比持續在婚姻狀態中的女性患心臟病的機率高出24%。如果離婚多次，心臟病發率將增加77%。

In men, there was a modest 10% extra risk for one divorce and 30% increase after multiple divorces.

對於男性，離婚一次增加10%的心臟病發率。多次離婚將增加30%病發率。

One of the researchers Prof Linda George said: "This risk is comparable to that of high blood pressure or if you have diabetes, so it's right up there, it is pretty big."

其中的一位研究人員琳達·喬治教授說：“這跟高血壓或糖尿病的風險接近，所以就此而言，風險還是相當高的。”

When it came to remarriage, the risk was only marginally reduced for women while men bounced back.

而如果再婚，對女人來說風險只是稍微降低了一點，對男人來說卻如獲新生。

"I think this is the most interesting bit in the paper," Prof George added.

喬治教授補充道：“我認爲這是研究報告中最有意思的一點。”

She told the BBC News website: "We joke around here and call it the 'any-women-will-do orientation' for men.

她告訴BBC新聞網站的記者：“我們就這一點打趣說，任何女人都能拯救男人。”

"They're more comfortable being married than not married and cope with different women being their spouses.

“男性覺得結婚比不結婚更舒服，而且任何類型的女性做配偶，他們都能應付。”

"First marriages are protective for women and it's a little dicey after that."

“對於女性來說，第一次婚姻是爲了尋求保護，之後的婚姻更具一點冒險精神。”

But why?

爲什麼呢？

The researchers found that changes in lifestyle, such as loss of income, could not explain the heightened risk.

研究人員發現，生活方式的改變，例如收入的減少，並不能解釋這種風險的增加。

Prof George told the BBC News website: "My educated speculation is that we know that psychological distress is a constant stress on the immune system, higher levels of inflammation and stress hormones increase.

喬治教授表示：“我的推測是，精神的苦悶會給免疫系統帶來持久的壓力，導致各種炎症發生的機率更高，壓力激素增加。”

"Immune function is altered for the worse and if that continues for many years it does take a physiological toll."

“免疫功能遭到破壞，如果這種狀況一直持續多年，就會導致健康出現問題。”

She argues the sex-difference is also found in depression and that divorce is a greater "psychological burden" for women although "we don't know exactly what's going on".

喬治認爲，抑鬱症還存在性別差異，離婚對女人來說“心理負擔”更重，儘管“我們並不知道到底發生了什麼”。

While tablets can reduce the risks caused by high blood pressure, there is no easy solution for the pain of divorce.

儘管吃藥可以減少由高血壓所帶來的患病風險，但要想治癒離婚所帶來的傷痛卻並不容易。

The researchers recommend close, supportive friends.

專家建議從親密的朋友關係中尋求支持和安慰。

Prof Jeremy Pearson, from the British Heart Foundation, commented: "We have known for some time that our mental health can affect our heart health.

英國心臟基金會的傑里米·皮爾森教授評論道：“我們知道，精神健康有時會影響心臟健康。

"This study suggests that divorce might increase a person's risk of a heart attack.

“這個研究指出，離婚會增加一個人患心臟病的風險。”

"But the results are not definitive so further evidence would be needed before divorce could be considered a significant risk factor for causing a heart attack."

但結果尚未定論，所以在離婚被作爲引起心臟病的一個重要風險因素之前，還需要獲得進一步的證據。”