Unhappy marriages as harmful as smoking?

Unhappy marriages can be as deadly for men as smoking, a new study suggests.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel have found that husbands who were dissatisfied with their marriage were nearly twice as likely to have a fatal stroke as those who were in a happy relationship.

The academics suggest that officials should promote relationship counselling in the same way as they encourage people to quit smoking or do more exercise.

8,945 married men were tracked for 32 years in the study and those aged under 50 had the most notable difference, as the death rate was 39 per cent higher in unsatisfied husbands.

Dr. Shahar Lev-Ari, the public health expert behind the study, told The Times of Israel: "What we found, which is surprising, is that dissatisfaction among men with their marriage is a risk factor for death, of a similar magnitude to smoking, or men failing to exercise."

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