People who frequently argue with friends and family are twice as likely to die in middle age.

According to a study published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, men and those not in work are particularly vulnerable to this risk.

Considering the presence of evidence which suggests that strong relationships are good for overall health and wellbeing, the researchers involved in the study sought to identify whether stressors inherent in friendships and family relationships had any effect on the risk of death in middle age.

The authors interviewed nearly 10,000 men and women between the ages of 36 and 52 regarding their everyday relationships. These participants were part of the Danish Longitudinal Study on Work, Unemployment and Health.

Using data from the Danish Cause of Death Registry, which was tracked from 2000 to the end of 2011, the researchers discovered that frequent arguments with people in a social circle were linked to a doubling to tripling in death risk from any cause, as compared to participants who reported a rare incidence of such conflict.

During this time period, four percent of the female participants and six percent of the male participants died. Nearly half of these deaths were as a result of cancer, with heart disease, liver disease, suicide and accidents making up the remainder of the deaths.

Personality may also play a role in how individuals perceive and respond to stressors, which can have an impact on a person’s risk of dying earlier in life.

The researchers involved in the study conclude that effective conflict management may help to lower the chance of premature death associated with the stress of relationship conflict.