Argue More, Die Sooner

If you find yourself in frequent conflict with friends, family members, or neighbors, you might be arguing yourself into an early grave, a new study finds. Researchers say middle-aged people who have frequent arguments are two to three times more likely to die prematurely, with those who often squabble with neighbors especially likely to die early, reports the Los Angeles Times. People who often fretted about their spouse or children were also a lot more likely to die prematurely from a variety of causes, including cancer, heart disease, and alcohol abuse.

The researchers, who studied data on thousands of Danish adults, found that unemployed men were the likeliest to have high levels of social conflict in their lives, the BBC reports. "Having an argument every now and then is fine, but having it all the time seems dangerous," the lead researcher tells LiveScience, explaining that people with stressful social relations not only have higher blood pressure, but are more likely to engage in risky behavior like smoking or excessive drinking. She says conflict management classes could be a good way for communities to curb early deaths. (More family stories.)