Optimism Helps Women Live Longer
August 11, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
Overall, I feel like I’m an optimistic person, and that may lower my risk of heart disease or just help me live longer in general. New research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association indicates that optimistic women have a lower risk of heart disease compared to pessimistic women.
It gets better: Women who look on the bright side also have a lower risk of dying from any cause, not just heart disease.
It’s a good time to have a positive outlook! At least don’t be cynical. Researchers say that women with a high degree of cynical hostility are at higher risk of dying. Yet, these same cynical women who harbor hostile thoughts toward others don’t have a higher risk of heart disease.
Lead author of the study – Hilary A. Tindle, M.D., M.P.H. from the University of Pittsburgh- says that there’s much evidence to support the idea that lots of negativity is bad for health.
Researchers studied 97,253 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79. The study participants were free of cancer and heart disease at the beginning of the study. The results of this large study were interesting.
Optimistic women compared to pessimistic women after more than eight years of follow-up had:
• 9% lower risk of developing heart disease
• 14% lower risk of dying from any cause
In addition, women with a high degree of cynical hostility were 16% more likely to experience death during the eight years of follow-up.
Are you optimistic?
(Image via flickr – D Sharon Pruitt)
