Marriage is all about sharing — and one of the things shared is health. A new study shows that as couples get older, the health of one partner can have a significant effect on the other.

"When we think about quality of life for older adults, and improving quality of life, it seems like targeting the individual is only part of the story," said David Sbarra, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona. "Our findings suggest that for older adults, a larger part of individual well-being is defined by our partner's health and cognitive functioning, as well."

Sbarra and colleagues studied more than 8,000 married couples, all 50 years or older, over a six-year period. They looked at markers for both physical and mental health. They found both genders were affected equally. If a husband was ailing, the wife's quality of life was affected; if the wife was sick, the husband's quality of life was affected.

The researchers say the findings have broad social significance, given the aging demographics of America and rising health care costs. "As we build public health interventions for our aging population when it comes to quality of life, we need to take a more dyadic approach, looking at both partners," Sbarra said.

In other words, one spouse may be hurting, but the other spouse is also feeling the pain.

Body of Knowledge

It takes roughly an hour for the human eye to completely adapt to darkness, but once fully adapted, it is 100,000 times more sensitive to light than it is in bright sunlight.

Number Cruncher

An ear of corn on the cob (146 grams) with melted butter contains 155 calories, 31 from fat. It has 3.4 grams of total fat, or 5 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet, according to the Calorie Count database.

It also contains 6 milligrams of cholesterol (2 percent), 29 milligrams of sodium (1 percent), 31.9 grams of total carbohydrates (11 percent) and 4.5 grams of protein.

Stories for the Waiting Room

Most folks want to get in and out of a hospital emergency room as quickly as possible. Not so with a 44-year-old Florida man who, a few years ago, was asked to depart the Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute's emergency room after being treated and discharged for an undisclosed condition.

The man adamantly insisted upon remaining until served a meal.

When local police were finally summoned, the man continued to balk. Finally, he said he needed a ride. Officers directed him to a pay phone in the ER lobby, where the man promptly and repeatedly dialed 911 to request transportation to a mental health facility. Ultimately, the man got his ride — to jail, where he presumably also was finally served a meal.

Doc Talk

Acute gravity attack: It means that the patient fell over.

Phobia of the Week

Porphyrophobia: fear of the color purple.

Never Say Diet

The world's speed-eating record for peanut butter and banana sandwiches is 36 in 10 minutes, held by Bob Shoudt — but not when your mouth is full.

Best Medicine

Good advice: Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.

Observation

"We were primitive people when I was a kid. There were only a mighty few known diseases: Gunshot wounds, broken legs, toothache, fits — and anything that hurt you from the lower end of your neck down was known as a bellyache." — American humorist Will Rogers (1879-1935)

Epitaphs

"'Keep looking up' was my life's admonition. I can do little else in my present position." — Jack Horkheimer (1938-2010), who was best-known for his popular astronomy TV show, "Star Gazer."

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.