Thinking about your romantic partner helps control blood pressure, says study

The power of love prevails us all, and a latest study proves it. According to a latest study, just thinking about our romantic partner during a stressful situation can possibly help us keep our blood pressure under control, and can be as effective as having next to us.

Published in the journal Psychophysiology, 102 participants were asked to complete a stressful task -- submerging one foot into three inches of cold water ranging from 3.3 to 4.4 degrees Celsius.

The research time that hailed from the University of Arizona measured participants' blood pressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability before, during and after the task.

To prove their statement, among the participants, those who were in committed romantic relationships were randomly assigned to one of three conditions when completing the task. They either had their significant other sitting quietly in the room with them during the task, they were instructed to think about their romantic partner as a source of support during the task, or they were instructed to think about their day during the task

Participants who had their partners physically next to them or who thought about their partners had lower blood pressure than the rest of the participants. Heart rate and heart rate variability did not vary between the three groups, researchers said.

"This suggests that one way being in a romantic relationship might support people's health is through allowing people to better cope with stress and lower levels of cardiovascular reactivity to stress across the day," said doctoral student Kyle Bourassa, who also led the study.

We don’t know about you, but from the looks of it, people in long-distance relationships definitely have a reason to rejoice!