Optimists may live longer, according to new evidence
The search for factors associated with exceptional longevity has focused on #genomics, and biomarkers. What have we missed? Optimism. It’s dose dependent.
Researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people with more optimism were more likely to have a longer life span and achieve \”exceptional longevity,\” i.e., live to 85 years old or older.
Optimism is the expectation of good things to happen or the belief that we have control over important outcomes. While research has identified several risk factors for diseases and premature deaths, little is known about the positive psychosocial factors which can promote healthy aging.
The study involved 69,744 men and women. Both groups filled out survey questions to determine their optimism level, their health, and their health habits, such as smoking, diet and alcohol consumption. The women were tracked for 10 years while the men for 30. Researchers compared individuals based on initial levels of optimism. They found that most optimistic women and men had, on average an 11-15 percent longer life expectancy and 50-70 percent higher odds of living to 85 than the least optimistic group. The researchers found that the results were still consistent after accounting for factors like age, education, chronic diseases, depression, and health behaviors such as alcohol consumption, exercise, diet, and primary care visits.
Source:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-08-evidence-optimists-longer.html
