A new study conducted by the psychologists from the University of Arizona suggests being in a romantic relationship helps people keep their blood pressure under control. The study has found that having their partners beside them or just thinking about them has kept their blood pressure down when caught up in a stressful situation.
The study, which was published in the Psychophysiology journal, involved 102 participants. They were asked to complete a stressful task, which is submerging one foot into 3 inches of cold water (38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit). Then, the research team measured their heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure before, during, and after completing the task.
The participants were all committed in a romantic relationship, and they were randomly assigned to one of three conditions when completing the task. They were either instructed to think about their day during the task, they had their significant other in the room while doing the task, or they were asked to think about their partner as a source of support while completing the task.
The researchers have found that those who thought about their partner and those who had their partner in the room kept their blood pressure under control compared to those who were instructed to think about their day. But, the heart rate, as well as the heart rate variability, did not vary between the three groups.
UA psychology doctoral student Kyle Bourassa, the leader of the study, said that their finding might help them to explain why the majority of high-quality romantic relationships are consistently linked to positive health results in the scientific literature. The study also suggests that being in a romantic relationship creates a positive impact by allowing their significant half to effectively cope and react with stress.
However, the participants in the study were college undergraduates in committed relationships, so further studies are needed and should also look at members of the general community in varying age ranges. And if the finding is similar to this latest one, then it could have implications for those facing stressful situations, Bourassa said.
Many people are experiencing different stressful situations every day, including at home, school, and work. The finding is already helpful; it highlights that being with your partner or just thinking about your significant other can keep your blood pressure under control and it also implies that a relational approach to doing so can be quite powerful.
