Latest study : Optimistic women 'live longer'
By lulumartin
@lulumartin (963)
Germany
August 12, 2009 11:32am CST
[i][b]Hi, my friends,
The latest study shows that optimistic women live longer. Are you an optimistic person?
For myself, i am a pessimist. When i face the difficulties in my life, i always think negatively. 
After reading this news, i think it is important to be optimistic to make me healthier and happier. [/b][/i]
The news is as below, you can find the original article from here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8193180.stm
Women who are optimistic have a lower risk of heart disease and death, an American study shows.
The latest study by US investigators mirrors the findings of earlier work by a Dutch team showing optimism reduces heart risk in men.
The research on nearly 100,000 women, published in the journal Circulation, found pessimists had higher blood pressure and cholesterol.
Even taking these risk factors into account, attitude alone altered risks.
Optimistic women had a 9% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 14% lower risk of dying from any cause after more than eight years of follow-up.
In comparison, cynical women who harboured hostile thoughts about others or were generally mistrusting of others were 16% more likely to die over the same time-scale.
One possibility is that optimists are better at coping with adversity, and might, for example take better care of themselves when they do fall ill.
In the study, the optimistic women exercised more and were leaner than pessimistic peers.
Lead researcher Dr Hilary Tindle, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, said: "The majority of evidence suggests that sustained, high degrees of negativity are hazardous to health."
A spokeswoman for the British Heart Foundation said: "We know that hostile emotions can release certain chemicals in the body which may increase the risk of heart disease, but we don't fully understand how and why.
"Optimistic or hostile attitudes can be linked to health behaviours such as smoking or poor diet, which may also influence heart health.
"A good thing for all women is that regardless of your outlook, making healthy choices such as not smoking and eating well, will have much more of an impact on your heart health than your outlook.
"More research is needed to explore how and why these psychological attitudes may affect health."
After reading this news, i think it is important to be optimistic to make me healthier and happier. [/b][/i]
The news is as below, you can find the original article from here http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8193180.stm
Women who are optimistic have a lower risk of heart disease and death, an American study shows.
The latest study by US investigators mirrors the findings of earlier work by a Dutch team showing optimism reduces heart risk in men.
The research on nearly 100,000 women, published in the journal Circulation, found pessimists had higher blood pressure and cholesterol.
Even taking these risk factors into account, attitude alone altered risks.
Optimistic women had a 9% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 14% lower risk of dying from any cause after more than eight years of follow-up.
In comparison, cynical women who harboured hostile thoughts about others or were generally mistrusting of others were 16% more likely to die over the same time-scale.
One possibility is that optimists are better at coping with adversity, and might, for example take better care of themselves when they do fall ill.
In the study, the optimistic women exercised more and were leaner than pessimistic peers.
Lead researcher Dr Hilary Tindle, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, said: "The majority of evidence suggests that sustained, high degrees of negativity are hazardous to health."
A spokeswoman for the British Heart Foundation said: "We know that hostile emotions can release certain chemicals in the body which may increase the risk of heart disease, but we don't fully understand how and why.
"Optimistic or hostile attitudes can be linked to health behaviours such as smoking or poor diet, which may also influence heart health.
"A good thing for all women is that regardless of your outlook, making healthy choices such as not smoking and eating well, will have much more of an impact on your heart health than your outlook.
"More research is needed to explore how and why these psychological attitudes may affect health."2 people like this
11 responses
@wangjihong350 (887)
• China
13 Aug 09
I think you said is correct!I happy with his day.To maintain a good mood.Enjoy their life.Woman's life is not easy,one has to work,To take care of her husband and children.There are children's grandparents.Every day have to face a lot of things to be solved.Even if bad things happen,happen.but also a strong face.A good woman to love themselves.
1 person likes this
@lulumartin (963)
• Germany
13 Aug 09
Hi, wangjihong.
Do you mean living together with parents-in-law? I am a malaysian chinese, in our cultures, there are many married women live together with their parents-in-law and have a lot conflicts with each others. So far, i do not live together with my in law, if i were n their situation, i would not know how to be optimistic.
@stephwrites (275)
• United States
12 Aug 09
I think it's very true. I have known and seen people you can tell by looking at them if they are enjoying their lives. or if they make it a point to make everyone around them as miserable as they are. and why would they want to live longer if they think their lives are so bad?
I am mostly positive. I like to look at the good things around me and focus on those things in my life so that I don't have a bad outlook. Life isn't always easy, that's for sure, so the brighter it looks, the better my attitude!
@lulumartin (963)
• Germany
13 Aug 09
hi, stephwrites.
That's true, we can see the emotions from people face, especially from their eyes. I think positive person can live longer and healthier becaue they love themselves and know how to take care of themselves. Unlike pessimists, they always think negatively and become an unhappy person. Sometimes they will just give up themselves.
I wish i have your spirit. I find the life is meaningless if i keep to be pessimistic.
Have a nice day and happy mylotting.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
13 Aug 09
I try to be optimistic. It's very difficult lately, though. I joined a clinical study and found out I'm depressed, which is why I've had so much trouble looking on the bright side of things lately. Optimism is a wonderful gift! You can be optimistic, too, even if you're pessimistic. Just start each day telling yourself it's going to be a beautiful day. That's how I broke my pessimism!
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
13 Aug 09
I tend to be pretty optimistic, but I do have my pessimistic days. I also live a pretty stressful life right now. I think in my case, the optimism in me and the stress in my life will end up balancing the scales in my life meter. It is good to know that I have that extra few years...if I get a handle on my stress.
@forevermjjj (1)
• China
13 Aug 09
I am optimistic,but I think that living long is decided by many reasons.
@derek_a (10873)
•
12 Aug 09
I don't know whether optimism makes you live longer or not, because that would suggest that you would need to know exactly how long a person lives. Nobody really knows that. Stress does take a toll on our health though, and poor health can shorten life. But we only know that by comparing our own lifespan with other human beings and healthy or not, we all live for different lengths of time. My belief is that is for the most part, unpredictable.
As a therapist, I will say that optimism definitely helps you to improve the quality of life. And many clients over the years have said to me that they are pessimists and I always say the same thing - “If you really want something bad enough, and it is humanly possible, you can get it.” I then go on to ask them if they are willing to be optimistic. If they are willing to do what it takes to be optimistic. It is surprising how often a client will hesitate at that question. I would believe then that there is karma involved, that for some reason as strange as it may sound, they don't want optimism in their life.
Most of us however are willing to invite optimism into our life, and the way we do this is through meditation and visualization. If we focus on what we want rather than what we don't want habitually, we will end up optimistic. However, there are times when the "old habit" will challenge our new developing state of mind. This should not be ignored, but fully acknowledged and focused on, rather than avoided. Then the negativity will tend to disappear and the positive visualizations that we have created beforehand will be easier to bring to mind, or may even come to mind automatically. The subconscious will get to know how we want to be, and will provide it, once our previous preconditioning is resolved. 
- Derek
- Derek
@here2learn (210)
• United States
12 Aug 09
I would like to think that I am a realist. I am not extremely pessimistic but I don't always see the good side of things. Sometimes life just sucks. "stuff happens" is my philosophy and you just have to deal with what comes up. I don't think of things that happen as horrible nor do I try to see the brighter side, I just deal with it. As far as the health benefits of optimism, that makes sense to me. Optimists always try and see the good of every situation and therefore probably worry less throughout their lifespan, which I am quite sure has a positive effect on their health.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
13 Aug 09
That is interesting information. The way I see it, it is a good idea to hope for the best but be prepared to deal with the worst just in case because over the years I have learned that s**t happens, life can really suck and the trick is to feel confident enough to handle whatever is thrown at you which, let’s face it could be anything!
I certainly agree that a positive outlook is healthier and there is nothing wrong with being optimistic as long as your feet are firmly planted on the ground and you see things realistically. I think the trick is to be sad only if the worst has occurred and not before because sometimes it may never happen!
@yanlisong (51)
• China
12 Aug 09
hi ,mylot friends ,it is sure that optimistic people have longer lives . wo should always have an optimistic mentality and see the good side of life ......
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
12 Aug 09
Hi,
Even without going to the researches and study we could make it out as to why optimistic people ( not only women ) live longer. Say for instance when you are down and think all negatives and scared of this or that you would certainly develop stress or tension and when they grow large you become a prey to hypertension and this would surely affect other vital parts of the body and thus short life.
On the other hand an optimistic person is ever positive in his/her action and thought and would not have to skip a night's sleep fretting over disturbing things that could be hitting you in course of living.
