Optimism Reduces Risk Of Mortality Beyond Heart Disease, Study Finds
Having a belief that good things will happen in the future is associated with reduced risk of death from infection, respiratory disease and cancer.
Los Angeles Times:
Optimistic Women Are Less Likely To Die Prematurely Of Cancer Or Heart Disease, Study Says
Having an optimistic outlook on life could help you live longer, according to a new study. Researchers at Harvard University found that among a group of 70,000 female nurses, the 25% who were most optimistic had a 31% reduced risk of mortality while they were being tracked compared with the 25% who were least optimistic. (Netburn, 12/9)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
Personality Trait Or Mental Disorder? The Same Genes May Weigh In On Both
You don’t need fancy genome-sequencing or brain-imaging equipment to know that some of the people we know and love are just a little, well, out there. We used to call these people “worriers,” “creative types,” “eccentrics” or “loners.” Like the rest of us, they seem to have come into the world with some recognizably fixed personality settings: They’re friendly or moody or dreamy or disorganized. They’re just more extremely so. (Healy, 12/9)