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Figure 3 Postmenopausal females (n = 390) were divided into those in satisfying marriages (left of each panel), unmarried (middle of each panel), and in low-satisfying marriages (right of each panel). After 11 years of follow-up, the women in satisfied marriages had the lowest and the women in unsatisfying marriages had the highest percentage of significant plaque (left panel). Serial carotid ultrasonography was performed after three years in a subgroup of this patient population (n = 206) and revealed that women in low-satisfying marriages also had the greatest progression of plaque during follow-up (right panel). Reprinted with permission from Gallo et al. Psychosom Med 2003;65:952–62 (34). *Groups differ significantly at p < 0.05.