Old, married people less likely to break bones

Well- wishers may have told you to break a leg on your wedding day, but being married dramatically reduces your chances of suffering a broken bone in old age.

People who tied the knot were less than half as likely to fracture their hip, upper arm or wrist as their single counterparts, according to a study.

Scientists believe it adds to growing evidence that marriage can have a protective effect on health.

They suggest it could be because people who are married take better care of themselves and take fewer risks with their health.

Researchers led by the University of Southampton studied data on almost 380,000 people from Denmark, around half of whom had suffered a broken bone.

They wanted to investigate whether differences in income and marital status are associated with differing fracture risks.

Being married has numerous health benefits, including a reduced risk of breaking a bone in old age because of osteoporosis, according to research

Osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones, is responsible for more than 500,000 fractures in the UK every year, costing the NHS an estimated £ 4.4billion.

Hip fractures in particular can have life- threatening complications for the elderly, with around a third dying within a year of experiencing the break.

Scientists found that higher income is linked to reduced chances of experiencing a fracture of the hip, upper arm or wrist compared with average income.

And people who are married have less than half the likelihood of sustaining a fracture compared with those who are single.

Bones weaken and break more as people age. Osteoporosis, which causes many bone breaks in older people, is a condition affecting over three million people in the UK and around 54 million Americans.

We’re social creatures — in the past we always lived in packs and groups and in today's world with pressure and demands, it’s healthy to have a sounding board to share the ups and downs of the day.

In 2010, the WHO found marriage can reduce the risk of depression and singles are more likely to suffer the blues. One reason for improved health was the encouragement received from their partner to eat healthy,