It has long been joked that marriage can raise blood pressure.
Now research shows it's more than an old wives' tale – and that couples are more likely to develop the potentially fatal condition.
Nearly half of people in England were found to have hypertension, which if left untreated can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
And according to the American researchers, the risk was nine percent greater if people were married.
They suggest that doctors should offer couples joint screening and treatment programs to tackle the problem together.
Compared to women married to men without high blood pressure, women married to husbands with high blood pressure were 9 percent more likely to have high blood pressure
Researchers wanted to test whether many married couples, who often have similar interests, living environments, lifestyle habits and health outcomes, also share high blood pressure.
They conducted analyzes on blood pressure measurements from 1,086 English couples in addition to 3,989 American, 6,514 Chinese and 22,389 Indian couples.
People were recorded as having hypertension if they had a systolic blood pressure higher than 140 mm Hg, a diastolic blood pressure higher than 90 mm Hg, or if they answered yes to the question whether they had a history of high blood pressure.
About 47 percent of couples in England, with an average age of 74.2 years in men and 72.5 years in women, were found to have high blood pressure, more than 38 percent in the US, 21 percent in China and 20 percent in India.
Compared to women married to men without high blood pressure, women married to men with high blood pressure were 9 percent more likely to have high blood pressure.
Similar associations were observed in men with wife and high blood pressure, according to findings published in Journal of the American Heart Association.
Experts say the findings highlight the potential benefits of using couple-based approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure, such as couple-based screening, skills training or joint program participation, rather than treating people individually.
Bethany Barone Gibbs, associate professor at West Virginia University's School of Public Health, said, “If your partner has hypertension, you are more likely to develop hypertension as well.
'Following this idea, lifestyle changes such as being more active, reducing stress or eating healthier can all lower blood pressure; However, these changes can be difficult to achieve and, more importantly, sustain if your spouse or partner does not make changes with you.”