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BHF - Staying positive is an important part of a heart healthy lifestyle
A five-year study of older people has revealed the higher people rated their feelings of happiness, the longer they lived.
The research, led by BHF's professor, Andrew Steptoe, asked more than 3,800 people aged 52 to 79 to rate their feelings of happiness and anxiety four times over the course of the day.
Researchers then followed participants for five years and the results showed those who reported feeling happiest had a 35 per cent reduced risk of dying during the study, compared to those who reported feeling the least happy.
This research does show that older people with a positive outlook may live longer
Maureen Talbot, our Senior Cardiac Nurse, said: “Like previous studies of its kind, this research does not establish cause and effect but does show that older people with a positive outlook may live longer.
“Interestingly, the findings showed those who feel happiest are less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise, behaviours that we know are beneficial to our heart health along with eating a healthy diet.
“There is certainly something to be said about staying positive and if we can combine that with keeping established risk factors, like high cholesterol and blood pressure, under control, we’ll being doing our heart a huge favour.”
