A new study has found that husbands are more sensitive to wives’ stress than the reverse. Researchers investigated how stress and relationship quality can not only influence mortality and blood pressure, but also how it affects married couples over time.

The results suggest a couple’s wellness should be assessed as a whole – rather than as two separate individuals – indirectly advocating the use of the increasing number of couples’ spa suites globally.

According to an article in the Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences, researchers assessed whether an individual’s blood pressure is influenced by their own, as well as their partner’s reports of chronic stress, and if there are gender differences in these patterns.

The findings support previous research that shows stress and relationship quality both have direct effects on the cardiovascular system, however, this study revealed that wives’ stress has important implications for husbands’ blood pressure – particularly in more negative relationships.

“An individual’s physiology is closely linked with not only his or her own experiences, but the experiences and perceptions of their spouses,” said lead author Kira S. Birditt. “We were particularly fascinated that husbands were more sensitive to wives’ stress than the reverse – especially given all of the work indicating that wives are more affected by the marital tie. We speculate that this finding may result from husbands’ greater reliance on wives for support, which may not be provided when wives are more stressed.”