The benefits of relationships

Having a happy partnership, friends and family can boost your immunity, reduce stress, lower your risk of heart problems and prolong your life, research shows

Here's how your various relationships are benefiting your health:

Significant others
Having a solid and stable partnership reduces your risk for almost every major disease, including heart disease, and adds an average of three years to your life, experts say.
Those in happy partnerships appear to have greater immunity, are more likely to have a good diet and exercise and are less inclined to smoke and drink, research shows.
"People who have good emotional support also have a more healthy biological stress response," says Professor Andrew Steptoe, the British Heart Foundation Professor of Psychology at University College London. "When faced with stresses, we all show an increase in stress hormones and in blood pressure," he explains. "Those who have more social support seem to have smaller stress responses which last for a shorter time."

Head for the bedroom
By making love regularly, partners can even prolong each others' lives, says Phillip Hodson, a fellow of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. "Having sex with your partner helps you sleep better, eases stress and boosts the immune system. We should all do it more often."
Indeed, men who have sex three or more times a week reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke by half, according to researchers at the University of Bristol. It's good exercise too - on average, we burn 200 calories when making love.

Friends indeed
Having good friends and family can bring similar health rewards to having a partner. "Having a social network, where problems can be talked over, reduces stress reactions," says chartered psychologist Dr Ann Thomas.
Friends may even defend against dementia, it appears. Researchers in the US suggest that regularly visiting friends or relatives could significantly reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

One big happy family?
Although no family is without its tensions, people with families are more likely to be socially connected - and social connectedness has been shown to be an important factor for heart health. US researchers say that those who don't have close links with family and friends and are socially isolated have higher levels of a blood molecule that‘s linked to heart disease.
And there's a health bonus to be had from hugging loved ones - it slows the heart rate, decreases blood pressure and sends feel-good endorphins rushing through the body.

Animal magic
Even the smallest of friends can help protect against illnesses, it appears. "Research suggests that pet owners are likely to have lower levels of cholesterol and serum triglycerides in their blood, which are precursors to heart attack," says Dr Deborah Wells, a senior lecturer at Queens University Belfast. "Stroking a pet calms us, giving us lower levels of blood pressure and heart rate," she says. "We also know that people who own pets appear to have better self-esteem."

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