2006年VOA标准英语-New Studies Highlight the Emotional and Ph

By Carol Pearson
Washington, DC
23 February 2006
 
watch Caregiver report
 

  
  
A groundbreaking new study shows that caring for a sick spouse¹ can raise the caretaker's risk of death.

Another study shows that holding hands can reduce anxiety.

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Don and Gladys Campbell have been married for 70 years. In their old age, he has suffered a hearing loss.  She has lost her eyesight. 

"I do most of the hearing for him, a lot of the hearing for him,” says Gladys.  “And it works out pretty well that way."

 
Don and Gladys Campbell 
  
A study of elderly couples, like the Campbells, married for decades, was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  It finds for people 65 and older, if one spouse is hospitalized, the other one has a greater chance of dying, and that the risk of death was higher for both men and women whose spouses² suffered from stroke, dementia or hip³ fractures -- illnesses which require a lot of care from the well spouse.

The study examined the medical records of more than half a million elderly couples over a nine-year period. The authors say their findings show that older couples are so interconnected that their medical care needs to take that into account, and that the well partner may need counseling and help in caring for the patient.

Another study, again involving married couples shows that holding hands could have real physiological⁴ benefits.

Dr. Richard Davidson   
  
Dr. Richard Davidson from the University of Wisconsin put the wives who volunteered for the study in an MRI machine where they knew they would be given mild electric shocks. Dr. Davidson says when the husbands reached in and held their wives' hands, the areas of the women's brains that register anxiety showed a dramatic reduction in activity.

"All three of these areas showed dramatic reductions in activity when wives, who report very high-quality relationships, are holding the hand of their partners," explained the doctor.

Dr. Davidson says his study shows that affection changes the way the brain releases stress hormones⁵, and that it may make people better able to handle anxiety. 

1 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

2 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

3 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

4 physiological   

adj.生理学的，生理学上的

参考例句：

• He bought a physiological book.他买了一本生理学方面的书。
• Every individual has a physiological requirement for each nutrient.每个人对每种营养成分都有一种生理上的需要。

5 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。