Marital arguments have a negative effect.

Even couples who have been happily married for decades can suffer negative health effects from the stress of marital arguments, an Ohio State University study suggests. Researchers found that abrasive arguments between husbands and wives - married an average of 42 years - were linked to a weakening of certain aspects of their immune responses. In addition, hostile arguments were associated with an increase in levels of stress hormones. These changes possibly could make people more susceptible to illness, particularly infectious diseases and perhaps cancer.

Thirty-one couples aged 55 to 75 completed questionnaires that examined their level of marital satisfaction. They then participated in an eight-hour testing session at Ohio State's Clinical Research Center. Each person had an intravenous tube inserted that allowed researchers to take blood samples at regular intervals during the experiment.

After a brief adjustment period, each couple...