Those who have experienced divorce or those who are contemplating taking this step often realize and/or understand the trauma that it generates. However, those in Columbus, Ohio (and everywhere else) should be aware that divorce can also increase your risk of death. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

The University of Arizona addressed this subject in reviewing over 30 different previously published studies. UA found that divorced adults have a "significantly higher risk" of early death compared to their married peers. Researchers tracked married and divorced couples over 11 years and discovered that the risk of dying was a full 23 percent greater for those who were divorced.

These studies revealed that this increased risk mirrored other documented health risks. For example, the risk equaled smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day, lacking regular exercise, becoming seriously overweight, or consuming too many alcoholic drinks daily. Fortunately, these detailed studies did not identify divorce as the primary cause of early deaths.

This review encompassed 32 different studies of more than 6 million adults in 11 countries (including the U.S.) over a period of 27 years. The results of this review surprised researchers, who formerly believed that there might be some risk associated with divorce, but not in the magnitude or consistency they uncovered.

Additional conclusions also appeared after the review. Men endured higher risk than women. Most divorced people (75 percent) remarried and enjoyed much higher satisfaction levels than during their prior marriage. Around 10 percent of divorced persons, however, experienced difficulty adjusting to their single status, including problems in forging new relationships, loneliness, weight gain, or clinical depression.

Still, the issue of direct cause and effect of divorce remains an unanswered question. Does divorce encourage poor health or do newly single persons engage in behavior that leads to declining health? Do some people adopt risky behaviors that lead to divorce in the first place? What other variables may affect the behavior of people pre- and post-divorce?

Source: USA Today, "UA study: Divorce can raise risk of early death," Anne Ryman, Jan. 10, 2012