Having a happy partner not only improves your mood, but also helps you manage stress as you age, a study suggests.
A study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology found that older couples had lower levels of stress hormones when their spouses felt positive emotions. This effect was stronger for couples who reported higher levels of satisfaction in their relationships.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, analyzed data from 321 couples aged 56 to 87 who participated in three studies conducted in Canada and Germany between 2012 and 2018. The researchers compared the participants’ self-reported emotional state and relationship satisfaction with their cortisol levels measured in saliva samples. Emotional state and cortisol were measured several times daily for a week.
Cortisol is an important part of the body’s stress response and daily functioning. Cortisol tends to increase rapidly when you wake up and then gradually decrease throughout the day. The emotions you feel throughout the day affect cortisol production. Studies have shown that negative emotions are associated with higher levels of cortisol, and chronically high levels of cortisol can worsen overall health. As we age, this connection between emotions and cortisol can become stronger. This is because older people tend to have a stronger physiological response to stress, while their bodies are less able to slow down cortisol production.
The study found that when partners reported more positive emotions than usual, their bodies produced less cortisol. This effect was stronger than when people reported their positive emotions. It was also stronger among those who were older and reported being happier in their relationships. “The results of the study suggest that positive emotions in relationships serve as a buffer against stress,” the researchers explained.
No correlation was found between cortisol levels and partners’ negative emotions. “This is not surprising, as previous research has shown that older adults can protect their partners from physiological responses to other people’s negative emotions,” the researchers said.
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Source: kormedi.com
