PEOPLE in a relationship in which both partners drink alcohol tend to live longer, a study reveals.
But researchers are at a loss as to why they fare better than teetotallers or couples in which only one boozes.
They were inspired by the “drinking partnership” theory — where couples with similar patterns of alcohol use tend to have less conflict and longer marriages.
But the team focused on health rather than relationship success.
Kira Birditt, research professor at the University of Michigan, said: “Interestingly, we found that couples in which both indicated drinking alcohol in the last three months lived longer than the other couples that either both indicated not drinking or had discordant drinking patterns in which one drank and the other did not.”
But the study warned against hitting the bottle due to its “broad definition of drinking”.
Prof Birditt added: “We don’t know why both partners drinking is associated with better survival.
“Future research should assess the implications of drinking patterns for daily marital quality and physical health outcomes.”