Study: Divorce can raise risk of dying sooner

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Updated: February 13, 2012 9:18AM

Getting a divorce? Your health could take a big hit, according to a new analysis that found the risk of dying early was 23 percent greater among divorced adults than for married couples tracked for an average of 11 years.

And that risk was sharply higher for divorced men than women.

The health risks associated with divorce were found to be similar to those of smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, not getting enough exercise, being overweight and drinking heavily, said study author David Sbarra, a University of Arizona psychology professor who said the results surprised him.

One question left unanswered: Does divorce lead to poor health, or does poor health lead to divorce?