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Optimistic People Have Lower Risk Of Heart Related Death
November 02, 2004

People who describe themselves as being optimistic have a lower risk of heart related death, compared to pessimists, according to the findings of a new Dutch study.

Close to 1000 people aged 65 to 85 years completed a questionnaire on health, self-respect, morale, optimism and relationships. Over the follow-up period of 9 years, there were 397 deaths reported.

According to the findings, subjects reporting high levels of optimism had a 55 percent lower risk of death from all causes, and 23 percent had a lower risk of heart related death, compared to all subjects who reported a high level of pessimism.


The protective effect of being optimistic provided stronger protection against all-cause death for men than for women.

"Our results, combined with the finding that hopelessness was associated with an increased incidence or progression of disease, suggest that dispositional optimism affects the progression of cardiovascular disease," wrote lead study author Dr. Erik Giltay.

The Dutch study is published in the November issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry.


http://www.healthtalk.ca/optimistic_11022004_2921.php