Finding ways to maintain your optimism can significantly extend your life, say scientists. (Photo: Bigstock)
September 19, 2019
By a staff writer
Natural Health News
Health news – Optimism – the ability to see the glass as half full rather than half empty – may be the key to a longer life for both men and women.
American researchers have found that people who are more optimistic are more likely to live longer and live to “exceptional longevity”, that is, to 85 years or older.
Optimism refers to the general expectation that good things will happen or believing the future will be favorable because we can control important outcomes. While research has identified many risk factors that increase the likelihood of disease and premature death, little is known about the positive psychosocial factors that can promote healthy aging.
A large study conducted in PNAS magazine, based on 69,744 women and 1,429 men. Both groups completed surveys to assess their level of optimism, as well as their general health and wellness habits, such as diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Women were followed for 10 years and men for 30 years.
When individuals were compared based on their baseline levels of optimism, the researchers found that the most optimistic men and women lived an average of 11-15% longer and were 50-70% more likely to reach age 85 than the least optimistic groups. The relationship between optimism and longevity held even after accounting for age and other influencing factors such as educational attainment, chronic illness, depression, and health behaviors such as alcohol consumption, exercise, diet, and primary care visits.
The results are relevant to public health, explains co-author Levina Lee, PhD, clinical research psychologist at the National PTSD Center at the VA Health System in Boston and assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), because they show that optimism is “a psychological property that has the potential to prolong human life.” He also suggests that it is a learned behavior and that levels of optimism can be changed using relatively simple techniques or treatments.
It is not yet clear how optimism helps people to live longer. “Other studies show that more optimistic people are able to regulate emotions and behavior and bounce back more effectively from stressors and adversity,” said co-author Laura Kubzansky, PhD, MPH, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health at Harvard Health School.
Researchers in the current study also suggest that more optimistic people have healthier habits, such as being more likely to exercise more and less likely to smoke, which may extend their lives.
