Married people are less prone to heart attacks than those who are single and more likely to recover from a stroke, according to a new study.

A large population-based Finnish study has shown that being unmarried increases the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart attack in both men and women whatever their age.

Researchers say, especially among middle-aged couples, being married and cohabiting are associated with "considerably better prognosis of acute cardiac events."

The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, was based on the FINAMI myocardial infarction register data from the years 1993 to 2002.

The study included information on people over the age of 35 living in four geographical regions of Finland.

All fatal and non-fatal cardiac events - known as "acute cardiac syndromes," ACS - were included and cross-referred to the population database.