New research from the University of Illinois has shown that the heart rates in older couples synchronize when they are close together. This new heart health study examined the dynamics of long-term relationships through spatial proximity. When couples grow older together, their interdependence heightens. They often become each other’s primary source of emotional and physical support. As previous studies have shown, long-term marriages profoundly affect health and well-being, but those benefits also depend on relationship quality. “Relationship researchers typically ask people how they’re doing and assume they can recall properly and give meaningful answers,” says Brian Ogolsky, lead author of the study. “But as couples age and have been together for a long time, they laugh when we ask them how satisfied or how committed they are. When they have been married for 30 or 40 years, they feel that indicates commitment in itself.” For this study, researchers looked for …