01-17-2010, 09:20 PM
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Why parenting actually REDUCES your blood pressure
Quote:
They may give you grey hair, sleepless nights and a host of worries about money, health and school.
But raising children can actually lower your blood pressure, a study suggests.
While the finding may provoke guffaws of disbelief among parents, the principle is that parenthood gives people 'a sense of purpose and meaning' which helps to reduce stress and put the hassles of life into perspective.
The conclusion comes from a study of 198 adults who were fitted with portable blood pressure monitors for 24 hours as they went about their normal lives.
Researchers took into account other factors that can influence blood pressure, such as health, age, weight, exercise, employment and drinking history.
All other things being equal, the average systolic blood pressure - the top number in a reading - was 4.5 points lower for parents than non-parents.
The diastolic blood pressure - the bottom number in a reading - was three points lower, the scientists reported in the journal Annals of Behavioural
The effect was stronger among women. Mothers had a 12 and seven-point difference in blood pressure compared with childless women.
Dr Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who led the study at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, said: 'While caring for children may include daily hassles, deriving a sense of meaning and purpose from life's stress has been shown to be associated with better health outcomes.'
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Read more: Why parenting actually REDUCES your blood pressure | Mail Online
I think it's more an issue where the parents are so tired that their blood pressure droops... 
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"Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value."
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