Adults who never married are significantly more likely to develop cancer, according to new research from the University of Miami.

A large study of more than four million Americans across 12 states found that this increased risk spans nearly every major cancer type. It is especially true for preventable cancers, such as types caused by smoking and infection.

Men who never married were found to have a 70% higher likelihood of cancer than their married counterparts. For women, that gap was even wider, with never-married individuals facing an 85% higher risk.

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Previous research has linked marriage to better survival rates after a diagnosis, but this is one of the first studies to show that marital status could be a major indicator of whether a person will develop cancer in the first place.

“These findings suggest that social factors such as marital status may serve as important markers of cancer risk at the population level,” study co-author Paulo Pinheiro, a research professor of epidemiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said in a press release.

Between 2015 and 2022, the team examined cancer cases diagnosed at age 30 or older and compared the rates of various cancers to marital status of participants. They then broke down the data by sex and race and adjusted for age.

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Adult men who were never married had approximately five times the rate of anal cancer compared to married men, the study found.

Adult women who were never married had nearly three times the rate of cervical cancer compared to women who were or had been married.

“It’s a clear and powerful signal that some individuals are at a greater risk,” Frank Penedo, director of the Sylvester Survivorship and Supportive Care Institute at the University of Miami, said in the release.

For women, being married (and often, by extension, having children) was associated with lower risks of ovarian and endometrial cancers, likely due to hormonal and biological factors associated with pregnancy, according to the researchers.

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Experts stressed that these findings do not mean marriage alone can protect against cancer.

“It means that if you’re not married, you should be paying extra attention to cancer risk factors, getting any screenings you may need, and staying up to date on healthcare,” Penedo said.

The researchers also hypothesized that people who smoke less, drink less and take better care of themselves may be more likely to get married, meaning other factors could influence the findings.

More research is needed to confirm the outcome, they noted.

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The study was published in the journal Cancer Research Communications.

Residents of a Chicago suburb hope its local reparations program “could alleviate affordability pressures” as the Black population dwindles in the city, according to a new report.

The Evanston Daily, a news outlet that covers Evanston, spoke with locals about housing affordability amid a “Black exodus,” raising concern from residents.

“It’s become more about green than Black,” community activist Meleika Gardner told the Daily. “It’s about the money and who can afford to stay here.”

Rev. Michael C. R. Nabors, the president of Evanston’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, believes the city is “losing a stock of our diversity.”

CHICAGO MOVES TOWARD REPARATIONS WITH BUS TOURS AND TOWN HALLS AS $150M DEFICIT LOOMS

“We have not been able to replace Blacks who are moving because housing has just gone up out of this world,” Nabors said. 

He continued, “For the Blacks who’ve been here for a generation or more, their parents or grandparents probably bought homes for a fraction of that amount.”

“Beyond zoning, some community members told The Daily the city’s reparations program could also help alleviate affordability pressures. Nabors said the program is a ‘major, important first step’ to address population shifts,” the outlet reported.

Evanston issued $25,000 to 44 residents in reparations payments, the City’s Reparations Committee announced in February. So far, at least 137 people have received reparations payments totaling $3.47 million, and more are expected by year’s end, reaching 171 recipients with about $4 million allocated to direct descendants.

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The program, which launched in 2019 to address past racial housing discrimination, provides $25,000 direct cash payments to Black residents and descendants of Black residents who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969. Evanston was the first U.S. city to pass a reparations plan, pledging $10 million over a decade to Black residents.

“Millions of those dollars now are being used to support Black families in Evanston that have been damaged by historical racism related to housing,” Nabors added. 

However, one resident disagreed with the reparations program. Darlene Cannon told the Daily that the program is “not repairing anything.”

“We had redlining here, and my family was forced to live in the 2nd Ward instead of being given an option to live in the 6th or 7th Ward,” Cannon said. “Twenty-five thousand dollars doesn’t make up for the true damage that was caused.”

“Still, Nabors said he sees reparations as the beginning of a ‘cooperation’ between Black residents and city developers and officials. Going forward, he said building multi-unit properties could help Black residents stay in Evanston,” the Daily reported.

Evanston officials did not respond to a request for comment.

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The future of Evanston’s reparations program is in question as the city faces a lawsuit that was recently given the green light to proceed, overcoming the defendant’s case to dismiss the matter. 

Conservative group Judicial Watch represents five plaintiffs who allege the program violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. They filed the lawsuit against the reparations program over its use of race as an eligibility requirement. 

The city reacted to the judge’s ruling in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“The city is aware of the court’s recent ruling. The city will continue to vehemently defend this case,” a spokesperson for the city said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has launched a community engagement effort called “Repair Chicago” to gather experiences of harm of Black Chicagoans as part of an effort to implement reparations.

The exploding popularity of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy is often hailed as a public health triumph, but one potential side effect may be flying under the radar.

The risk of divorce increases as weight drops, according to historical data from bariatric surgery patients.

Some experts believe that the same pattern could occur as more people “take the jab” and decide to call it quits on their marriages.

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Per-Arne Svensson, a professor at the Institute of Health and Care Sciences in Sweden, studies the link between weight loss and relationship status. While these drugs have many metabolic benefits, he warns that the social fallout is very real.

“The effect likely unfolds in several stages,” Svensson told Fox News Digital. “First, a substantial amount of weight must be lost, which typically occurs within the first year. Subsequently, changes in relationship dynamics may begin to emerge, followed by the legal processes associated with divorce.”

This observation aligns with previous studies that found patients who underwent bariatric surgery were twice as likely to get a divorce compared to the general population.

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In addition to helping with diabetes control and weight management, GLP-1s have also been found to help break unhealthy, reward-seeking habits like drinking and smoking.

However, Svensson said the cause of these splits isn’t necessarily a change in a patient’s temperament or brain chemistry. Instead, he points to the psychological and social shifts that accompany a new physique.

“Weight loss itself may increase a sense of autonomy or confidence, potentially empowering individuals to leave unhealthy relationships,” he told Fox News Digital.

Many patients report that their lifestyles change substantially after weight loss, “often involving greater social engagement and increased attention from others,” the doctor added.

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If a partner is unable to adapt to this more outgoing version of their spouse, the friction can cause rifts.

A 2013 study supports this “relationship tension” theory, finding that when one partner loses significant weight while the other remains the same, it can lead to feelings of insecurity and criticism from the partner who didn’t change.

“Currently, surgery leads to greater average weight loss, and its impact on relationships is therefore likely to be more pronounced,” Svensson said.

“However, as newer, more effective medications are developed, we may soon see comparable levels of weight loss to those achieved with surgery.”

Svensson noted that weight loss doesn’t have to mean “date loss.”

“Among individuals who are single, the likelihood of forming a new relationship also increases substantially after weight loss,” he said.

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“While it may be somewhat discouraging to acknowledge the role of appearance in partner selection, finding a new romantic partner is nevertheless one of the most significant events in a person’s life.”

To mitigate the risk of a split, Svensson suggests that couples take a collaborative approach to health.

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If one partner is pursuing wellness goals, involving the spouse in healthy lifestyle changes — such as diet and exercise — can create a shared journey rather than one that pulls the couple apart, according to the expert.

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“There may be clear advantages to partners undertaking weight-loss treatment together,” provided that both have a clinical need, Svensson added.

Fox News Digital reached out to GLP-1 manufacturers requesting comment.