IMBIBING FOR MARITAL HEALTH

COULD THE SECRET to a long and healthy marriage be as simple as enjoying a cocktail together? According to a study published in the journals of gerontology, married couples get on with each other better and for longer when both partners enjoy a drink. Researchers focused on 2767 heterosexual couples in the US and measured responses as part of a long-term health survey. Marriages had already lasted for 33 years on average, with approximately two-thirds in their first marriage. If both partners drank alcohol, the couples tended to report a happier marriage. Women, in particular, were least happy in a marriage where they didn’t drink but their husband did. If both partners were teetotal, this was also better than having one partner drinking and one not, the study found. “The present findings stress the importance of considering the drinking status rather than the amount of alcohol consumed of both members of the couple when attempting to understand drinking and marital quality among older couples,” said researchers.