Danish researchers at the University of Copenhagen say that regular rows with family and friends could lead to an early grave.
The team interviewed nearly 10,000 Danish men and women aged between 36 and 52 and asked who in their lives made excessive demands on them – or were a source of conflict, or caused worry.
The researchers found that 10% of those questioned reported that their partners or children were a frequent or constant source of excessive demands and worries, while 6% blamed relatives and 2% blamed friends.
A total of 6% of those questioned admitted to having regular rows with partners and children. Just 2% argued with other family members and 1% with friends.
The researchers then followed the health of the study group between 2000 and 2011, during which period 4% of the women and 6% of the men died.
The researchers found that frequent rows and arguments were associated with a two-or even three-fold risk of death from any cause, compared with people who rarely had rows or arguments.
Men appeared to be especially vulnerable to the demands of their partner, or excessive rows – and unemployment appeared to exacerbate the effects of frequent arguments on health.
The researchers concluded that stressful social relations – ranging from partners to neighbours – are associated with an increased risk of premature death among men and women in middle age.
"Conflicts, especially, were associated with higher mortality risk, regardless of who was the source of the conflict,” said the researchers.
"Worries and demands were only associated with mortality risk if they were related to partners or children,” they added.
"We found men were especially vulnerable to frequent worries/demands from their partner – contradicting earlier findings suggesting that women are more vulnerable to stressful social relations."
Previous research has suggested a link between heart attacks and stressful social situations such as rows and arguments or worries and anxiety, which can be helped by the support of friends and family.
However, lead researcher Dr Rikke Lund added that, although arguments and worries are “part of life”, those who experience them frequently are more at risk from early death in middle age.
The research is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
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