In my new book, 10 Essentials of Happy, Healthy People, (available about 9/1//09I discuss how “toxic attitudes” can lead to disease, dysfuntion, and disorder. Now, a new study shows how optimism, at least in females, can lead to improved health and longevity.
More Information:
The Los Angeles Times Booster Shots blog reported that “a study by cardiac researchers showed that optimistic women had a lower risk of developing heart disease or dying of any cause, compared to pessimistic women.”
MedPage Today states that for the study, published in the journal Circulation, investigators “looked at data on 97,253 women from the Women’s Health Initiative who were free of cancer and cardiovascular disease at baseline.”
WebMD reported “completed surveys at study entry designed to assess their degree of optimism and their general level of hostility and cynicism.”
“Women within the highest 25 percent of optimism scores had a nine percent lower chance of developing heart disease and a 14 percent lower chance of dying of any cause,” HealthDay reported.
Meanwhile, the researchers found that “women with the highest degree of cynical hostility were 16 percent more likely to die than those with the most trust in their fellow humans.”
How can you improve your optimism? I have plenty of suggestions in my new book, 10 Essentials of Happy, Healthy People. They should be available here about September 1, 2009. Get a copy today and learn how you and your family can become more highly healthy.