The Bright Side - Optimists Live Longer (and Reduce Risk of Death by 14 percent)

Don't worry, be happy!  And you'll live little longer.  That's the conclusion of a new study from the University of Pittsburgh published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers studied more than 97,000 women and found that glass half-fullers had a nine per cent lower risk of developing heart disease and a 14 per cent lower risk of dying from any cause after eight years of follow-up.

Bright siders tend to be in better health than dark siders.  "The majority of evidence suggests that sustained, high degrees of negativity are hazardous to health," said Dr Hilary A Tindle, from the University of Pittsburgh.

Who is an optimist?  People who tend to answer yes to statements like "in unclear times, I usually expect the best".

Who is a pessimist?  People who answer yes to statements like "if something can go wrong for me, it will."

Optimists in the study appear to be healthier because they are:

- less likely to be depressed
- less likely to smoke
- more likely to have a higher education level
- earn more money
- are more religious

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