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HFor centuries, men have been searching for the secret to live longer, but the answer can be as simple as maintaining a positive state of mind. A new study released Monday by researchers at Boston University adds to the evidence that optimistic men and women can live longer than those who are pessimistic.
The researchers found that people with a higher optimism score were more likely to live after the age of 85. Those with higher levels of optimism at the start of the study were more likely to have advanced degrees and be physically active, and less likely to be in higher education. have advanced degrees. health conditions like diabetes or depression. However, when the researchers took these variables into account, they still found that optimism was associated with people living much longer.
Researchers often focus on finding risk factors to increase the risk of getting sick. However, Lewina Lee, principal investigator of the new study and assistant professor of psychiatry at the BU School of Medicine, said, "These findings reinforce the interest in examining psychosocial assets and not just deficits in psychosocial issues. health and health outcomes. "
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The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, included a long-term follow-up of women enrolled in the study of the health of nurses and men in the study on normative aging of Veterans Affairs . Women have been followed since 1976 and, in 2004, completed a questionnaire containing 263 true or false statements about their experiences and their vision of life. Their survival was followed until 2014. The men were followed since 1961 and completed an evaluation of optimism in ten questions in 1986. The survival results were followed until 2016.
A report by the Brookings Institution in May 2018 leads to the same conclusion. "We looked at people born in the 20's and 30's who lived beyond 2015," said Carol Graham, a Brookings senior fellow. "Lee's conclusions correspond to those we found. On the basis of US data on people of the same age, those who are optimistic at the beginning and at the mid-life live longer. "
Previous studies have also shown that optimism is associated with a reduction in the number of premature deaths or a decrease in the number of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, but the link between optimism and long life expectancy is relatively new and its implications are considerable.
The authors of the new study believed that optimism is a modifiable attribute and could be a potential target for promoting healthy aging. Graham suggested that communities can enhance optimism by increasing access to the arts or by offering volunteer opportunities, which could help create meaning and foster social connections.
Although the association is clear, scientists still do not really understand why optimism could lead to longevity. Optimists may simply invest more in their health and avoid dangerous health behaviors. But there may be more biology than what appears on the surface.
Bruce McEwen, who heads the neuroendocrinology lab at Rockefeller University, said that experiments shape the brain and the body. The inflammation and stress can affect the brain and other organs and cause diseases or aging processes. Attributes such as being objective-oriented, optimistic, and socially engaged are all interrelated and could help combat higher levels of stress and inflammation.
Although the results are promising, these studies of optimism must be interpreted with caution. In Lee's research, the two groups of men and women studied were quite narrow and included mainly whites of higher socio-economic status. It is difficult to determine to what extent these results can be generalized. "Translating into individual lives is a more complicated story," said McEwan.
The results provide a starting point for future research, Lee said. She hopes to explore the potential paths between optimism and longevity and seek explanations for these results.
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