| Marital arguments can leave a husband and
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| | High Levels of Hostility
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| wife feeling emotionally wounded, but
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| | During the first visit, each spouse was
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| that's not all. Scientists have
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| | asked to talk for several minutes about
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| discovered that the stress of a typical
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| | some characteristic or behavior that he
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| 30-minute tiff can prevent physical
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| | or she would like to change. This was a
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| wounds from healing by at least one day.
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| | supportive, positive discussion,
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| Moreover, couples whose relationships are
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| | Kiecolt-Glaser notes.
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| generally hostile may suffer longer
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| | "But during the second visit, we asked
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| delays in the healing process -- even
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| | them to talk about an area of
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| twice as long. This finding, published in
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| | disagreement," she says, "something that
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| the Archives of General Psychiatry, could
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| | inherently had an emotional element."
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| have major financial implications for
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| | Both discussions were videotaped, and
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| medical centers and healthcare insurers.
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| | those tapes were used to gauge the level
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| The latest research is part of a
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| | of hostility present between the couples.
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| thirty-year series of experiments
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| | Fluid accumulating at the individual
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| underway at the Ohio State University's
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| | wound sites and peripheral blood samples
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| Institute for Behavioral Medicine
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| | were also taken from each participant.
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| Research. The work is aimed at
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| | The researchers then analyzed the data,
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| identifying and then explaining the ways
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| | making the following observations:
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| psychological stress can affect human
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| | - Wounds took a day longer to heal after
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| immunity.
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| | the arguments than they did after the
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| Psychological Preparation
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| | initial supportive discussion;
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| Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, a professor of
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| | - Couples who showed high levels of
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| psychiatry and psychology, and partner
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| | hostility needed two days longer for
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| Ronald Glaser, a professor of molecular
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| | wound-healing, compared to couples whose
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| virology, immunology and medical
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| | hostility appeared low.
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| genetics, both at Ohio State, say the
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| | "Wounds on the hostile couples healed at
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| findings provide important
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| | only 60 percent of the rate of couples
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| recommendations for patients facing
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| | considered to have low levels of
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| surgery.
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| | hostility," Kiecolt-Glaser points out.
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| "This shows specifically why it is so
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| | Delicate Balance
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| important that people be psychologically
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| | Blood samples from those highly hostile
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| prepared for their surgeries,"
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| | couples showed differences as well. The
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| Kiecolt-Glaser explains.
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| | levels of one cytokine -- interleukin-6
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| "We have enough data now from all of our
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| | (IL-6) -- increased one-and-a-half times
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| past studies," adds Glaser, "to basically
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| | over those in couples considered less
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| suggest that hospitals need to modify
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| | hostile.
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| existing practices in ways that will
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| | Cytokines are key elements in the human
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| reduce stress prior to surgery."
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| | immune system. They hold a delicate
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| Such stress reduction could lead to
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| | balance in maintaining the right immune
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| shorter hospital stays -- with
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| | response. Increased levels of IL-6 at the
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| corresponding lower medical bills -- and
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| | site of a wound stimulate the healing
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| a reduced risk of infections among
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| | process, but those same levels
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| patients, the researchers agree.
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| | circulating throughout the bloodstream is
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| Blistering Trial
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| | a problem.
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| A group of 42 married couples who had
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| | Sustained higher-than-normal levels of
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| been together an average of 12 years or
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| | IL-6 have been linked to long-term
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| more participated in the study. Each
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| | inflammation, which is implicated in a
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| couple was admitted into the university's
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| | host of age-related illnesses:
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| General Clinical Research Center for two
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| | cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis,
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| 24-hour-long visits. The visits were
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| | arthritis, type-2 diabetes, certain
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| separated by a two-month interval.
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| | lymphoproliferative diseases and cancers,
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| During each visit, both the husband and
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| | Alzheimers disease and periodontal
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| wife were fitted with a small suction
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| | disease.
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| device which created eight tiny uniform
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| | "In our past wound-healing experiments,
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| blisters on their arms. The skin was
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| | we looked at more severe stressful
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| removed from each blister and another
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| | events," says Kiecolt-Glaser. "This was
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| device placed directly over each small
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| | just a marital discussion that lasted
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| wound, forming a protective bubble, from
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| | only a half-hour. The fact that even this
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| which researchers could extract fluids
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| | can bump the healing back an entire day
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| that normally fill such blisters.
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| | for minor wounds says that wound-healing
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| The husbands and wives also completed
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| | is a really sensitive process," she
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| questionnaires intended to gauge their
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| | observes.
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| level of stress at the beginning of the
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| | "This supports our long-held contention
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| experiment. Lastly, each person was
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| | that even small changes in cytokine
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| fitted with a catheter through which
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| | levels will have a marked effect on
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| blood could be drawn for later analysis.
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| | health," adds Glaser.
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