"Wine, ..... and Song"

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The health benefits of being married are so large that single men are at greater risk of dying than smokers, says a study.

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So perhaps I'd better take up smoking then........And drink more red wine as that's supposed to good for the heart.

Scientists have frequently found that married men and women tend to be in better health than their single counterparts.

This is partly because of the "social support" of having a wife or husband - and perhaps because both single men and women have a worse lifestyle - and no-one to look out for their wellbeing.

However, the latest study, by researchers at the University of Warwick, looked at thousands of records from the British Household Panel Survey and the British Retirement Survey.

It found that, even when the effects of smoking, drinking and other poor lifestyles were taken into account, married men had a much lower risk of death.

Over a seven year period, the married male had a 9% lower risk of dying compared with an unmarried one.

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"It makes perfect sense to ask how a ring of gold can possibly do this.

"But the honest answer is, that we don't know."

And a suitable postcard from my collection!

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Sorry ......there was nothing on the back!

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