Being an optimist might not only be good for living a better life, but also a long one, according to Harvard researchers. The study, focusing on white females and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, found that women who were optimistic had a significantly lower risk of dying from several major diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory disease, compared to other women whose outlook on life was less positive. For the study, the researchers analyzed data on from 2004 to 2012 on 70,000 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, a long-running research project tracking women’s health via surveys every two years.
To measure levels of optimism, participants were asked to use a five-point scale to either agree or disagree with six statements, such as, “In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.”
The results showed that the most optimistic women – those in the top 25 percent – had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study when compared to the least optimistic participants in the lowest 25 percent.
Specifically, the researchers found that the most optimistic women had:
a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancer.
a 38 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease.
a 39 percent lower risk of dying from stroke.
a 38 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease.
The authors point out that since the study was only done in women, who were mainly white, the results might not be generalizable to other populations. However, they note, “there is no clear basis for believing that the effects of optimism on health differ by sex or race.”

source: cbsnews.com