As if the love of your sweetheart forever wasn’t enough to make you want to walk down the aisle, researchers at Emory and Rutger’s universities have found that married people who have undergone heart surgery are three times more likely to survive the next three months, compared to single patients.

The study, published in the the March issue of Journal of Health and Social Behavior, followed more than 500 married and single patients who were undergoing emergency or elective coronary bypass surgery.

According to lead researcher Ellen Idler, married patients had a more positive outlook going into the surgery:

“When asked whether they would be able to manage the pain and discomfort, or their worries about the surgery, those who had spouses were more likely to say, yes.”

This isn’t the first time love and marriage has proven to be good for you. A 2009 study by Swedish researchers found that those who are married or partnered in middle age are about 50 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who live alone. Looks like marriage is good for your brain too!