Ageing gracefully should encompass not only looking healthy and vibrant, but feeling that way, too! Researchers found that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived longer over those who reported a more negative self-perception.
The study was carried out at the Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. A sample of 660 individuals aged 50 and older participated in a community-based survey, the Ohio Longitudinal Study of Aging and Retirement (OLSAR). The participants gave their opinions to several statements about attitudes toward getting older and they were followed for an average of 23 years.
The respondents who reported having a positive attitude toward aging lived an average of more than 7 years longer than those who had a more dismal view of getting older. This advantage remained after taking into account age, gender, socioeconomic status, loneliness, and functional health. It was also found that this effect is partially mediated by will to live.
A positive attitude toward ageing seemed to extend life longer than other known healthy behaviours, as the report indicates. In other research, low blood pressure and cholesterol have been linked to an extra 4 years of life, while other aspects of a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising and not smoking, have been shown to add between 1 and 3 years to life.
However the study did not directly compare the effects of a positive attitude towards ageing with the life-extending power of other aspects of a healthy lifestyle. Instead, a number of behavioural, psychological and biological factors contribute to extending life. Negative attitudes may take a toll on the heart as such attitudes may have a negative effect on how the heart responds to stress. There may not be a lot we can do to stop the hands of time, however the good news is there is a great deal we can do to combat the signs of ageing and increase longevity.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Aug 2002, Vol. 83 (2)
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