Divorce and Diagnosis: How Marital Dissolution Shapes Cardiovascular Health

Michaela Kreyenfeld , Hertie School
Pavel Grigoriev, Federal Institute for Population Research
Martin Brünger, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Jennifer Burchardi , Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Gellert Paul, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. In Germany, their impact is particularly evident, as the recent stagnation in life expectancy has been associated with excess mortality from these conditions. Although all-cause mortality has declined in recent decades, mortality risks associated with cardiovascular diseases remain elevated in the years preceding retirement age. This pattern may suggest that social and psychological determinants—such as stress, social isolation, and life events like union dissolution—may play a growing role in shaping cardiovascular health outcomes. Particular “gray divorce” may be a relevant factor, as the country has seen a particularly strong increase in divorce rates at advanced ages. In this project, we use data from the Combined Demographic Histories (CDH) — a large-scale 20% sample of linked registers of the German Pension Fund. The primary aim of this study is to examine how divorce is associated with the risk of being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) among individuals aged 30–59. In addition, we analyze long-term survival following a CVD diagnosis and assess how this outcome is related to divorce histories. Our results indicate that divorce significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, we identify pronounced gender differences, with men being more strongly affected by the adverse health impacts of divorce than women.

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 Presented in Session 98. Causes of Death and Multi-Morbidity at Death