|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Study of Elderly Shows Optimist Have Lower Risk of
Death
 Nov. 2, 2004 - Patients who described themselves as
highly optimistic had lower risks of all-cause death, and lower rates of
cardiovascular death than those with high levels of pessimism, according
to an article in the November issue of The Archives of General
Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
According to the article, major depression is a
known risk factor for cardiovascular death. However, the relationship
between optimism and death has not received as much attention.
Erik J. Giltay, M.D., Ph.D., of Psychiatric Center
GGZ Delfland, Delft, the Netherlands, and colleagues analyzed data from
the Arnhem Elderly Study to test whether participants who are optimistic
live longer than patients who are pessimistic.
Participants were aged 65 to 85 years (999 men and
women) and completed a 30-item questionnaire on health, self-respect,
morale, optimism and relationships. Of the participants, 941 (466 men,
475 women) had complete information on questions regarding optimism, and
these patients were divided into four groups based on their level of
optimism.
Over the follow up period of 9.1 years (1991 to
2001), there were 397 deaths. Compared to participants who reported a
high level of pessimism, participants reporting high levels of optimism
had a 55 percent lower risk of death from all causes, and a 23 percent
lower risk of cardiovascular death. The researchers also found an
inverse relationship between level of optimism and risk of death, with a
stronger protective effect of optimism in men than women for all-cause
mortality, but not cardiovascular mortality.
"In conclusion, we found that the trait of optimism
was an important long-term determinant of all-cause and cardiovascular
mortality in elderly subjects independent of sociodemographic
characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors," the authors write. "A
predisposition toward optimism seemed to provide a survival benefit in
elderly subjects with relatively short life expectancies otherwise."
"Our results, combined with the finding that
hopelessness was associated with an increased incidence or progression
of disease, suggest that dispositional optimism affects the progression
of cardiovascular disease," the researchers state. "Although optimism
reduces the risk of cardiovascular death through mechanisms largely
unaffected by baseline values of physical activity, obesity, smoking,
hypertension, and lipid profile, pessimistic subjects may be more prone
to changes across time in risk factors that affect the progression of
cardiovascular disease (e.g., the development of smoking habits,
obesity, or hypertension) than optimistic subjects. Dispositional
optimism may also be associated with better coping strategies that are
adhered to throughout life."
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
