Doctors' study concludes that you really can be nagged to death

A study claims that having a nagging partner with excessive demands can significantly shorten life.

17:05 09 May 2014

Being nagged by your partner with excessive demands can double your risk of dying during middle age, it has been revealed. 

 

This is what researchers have claimed after conducting several studies, published together under a new report. They state that stress caused by arguments or general worry can lead to heart disease and can lower the immune system leading to other health problems. 

 

The research, which was conducted by Dr Rikke Lund and colleagues from the University of Copenhagen, followed 9,875 Danish men and women aged 36 - 53 for 11 years. 

 

Participants were asked to filled in a detailed questionnaire with questions such as ‘In your everyday life, do you experience conflicts with any of the following people?’ and ‘do you experience that any of the following people demand too much of you?’ 

 

Over the 11 year period, 196 of the participants have passed away due to heart disease, cancer and liver disease, as well as from alcohol abuse and suicide. 

 

Analysing the data, the researchers found that men who said that they were faced with several demands from their partners or family and friends were more than twice as likely to die compared to women in the same category. 

 

Dr Lund said: ‘Previous research seems to say it is stress on your cardiovascular system which is associated with increase in blood pressure which is associated with heart disease.

 

‘Men [tend] to report [having] smaller networks than women. They say their spouse or partner is their main confident. They may have a good friend or close colleague but their network is smaller.

 

‘Women tend to have larger networks and they share the stress they have with good friends and family member.

 

‘Men will limit their conversations with friends and family. The one person they have as a confident is actually the one putting the worries and demands on them then that could be making them more vulnerable.'