© Rich Gershon / GettyTwins have a “survival advantage” over the general population: study.
Because couples and people with lots of friends tend to live longer, healthier lives, scientists often say marriage, friendship, and social interaction in general provide "health protective" benefits. Similarly, being born a twin may offer unseen advantages, according to a
new analysis from University of Washington researchers that shows twins are more likely of surviving into their 60s.
Specifically, identical twins show greater ability to survive than fraternal twins at nearly every age, while fraternal twins have greater survival capacity than the general population.
"This research has documented a 'twin protection effect' akin to a marriage protection effect where a socially close relationship contributes to better survival outcomes throughout most of life," concluded David Sharrow and James Anderson.
Fact is,
marriage is an advantage for some, not all. Most studies suggest a
supportive marriage benefits both partners, while more contentious marital arrangements are problematic. For example,
unhappy unions raise the risks of heart disease, especially among older women, one study found. Another revealed married partners who report being ambivalent about their marriage have consistently higher
blood pressure throughout the day than those who consider themselves part of a supportive couple. One other study indicated health benefits may be
asymmetric with long-term family life strongly linked to later-life health for men but for women... not so much.
Comment: Companionship and the support of others is crucial to our overall health and well-being - it's not the number of our social connections but the quality of our relationships that matters: