Marrying and staying married has a significant impact on longevity for both men and women, according a study by the National Center for Health Statistics that analyzed 2.2 million U.S. death certificates from 2003.

The study found that married men lived an average of 77.6 years compared to 69.2 years for never-married men and 67.1 years for divorced men. Married women had an average life span of 81 years compared to 77.4 years for the never-wed and 72 for women who had divorced. (Source: Scripps Howard News Service.)