Health Farm

-- Optimism lowers risk of cardiovascular disease, fosters longevity

Glass half full, or half empty?

Recent studies link greater optimism to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, and conditions fostering exceptional longevity.

A major analysis of 15 studies involving 229,391 participants found that people who ranked high in optimism were much less likely to have a heart attack and had a lower mortality rate from any cause compared to pessimists.

According to Dr. Alan Rozanski, one of the field’s primary researchers, one explanation is that optimists tend to take better care of their health – they’re more likely to exercise, eat better, and are less likely to smoke.

Possibly as significant, people in the glass-half-empty camp suffer from a biological effect that bathes their bodies in damaging stress hormones, such as cortisol and norepinephrine, which are known to increase inflammation and metabolic abnormalities. Pessimism is also one step on the way to depression, also linked to cardiovascular disease.

Always look on the bright side of life.