{"id":215152,"date":"2016-12-07T16:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-12-07T21:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=215152"},"modified":"2019-03-04T14:36:36","modified_gmt":"2019-03-04T19:36:36","slug":"optistic-women-live-longer-are-healthier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/12\/optistic-women-live-longer-are-healthier\/","title":{"rendered":"How power of positive thinking works"},"content":{"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" height=\"403\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/happy_woman_605.jpg\" width=\"605\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A Harvard study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.\n\u00a0\n<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Credit: Estitxu Carton\/Creative Commons<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tHealth\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tHow power of positive thinking works\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tKaren Feldscher\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Chan School Communications\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2016-12-07\">\n\t\t\tDecember 7, 2016\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t3 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tStudy looks at mechanics of optimism in reducing risk of dying prematurely\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-80da116c-b97a-4934-bb8e-315b77969707\">\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/120216_happy_391_605_main.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/\">\n\t\t\tHealth\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/12\/can-happiness-lead-toward-health\/\">Can happiness lead toward health?<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2016-12-05\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 5, 2016\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>Having an optimistic outlook on life \u2014 a general expectation that good things will happen \u2014 may help people live longer, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p>The study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death \u2014 including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection \u2014 over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>The study appears online today in the American Journal of Epidemiology.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhile most medical and public health efforts today focus on reducing risk factors for diseases, evidence has been mounting that enhancing psychological resilience may also make a difference,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/eric-kim\/\">Eric Kim<\/a>, research fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-lead author of the study. \u201cOur new findings suggest that we should make efforts to boost optimism, which has been shown to be associated with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of coping with life challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study also found that healthy behaviors only partially explain the link between optimism and reduced mortality risk. One other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems, Kim said.<\/p>\n<p>The study analyzed data from 2004 to 2012 from 70,000 women enrolled in the Nurses\u2019 Health Study, a long-running study tracking women\u2019s health via surveys every two years. They looked at participants\u2019 levels of optimism and other factors that might play a role in how optimism may affect mortality risk, such as race, high blood pressure, diet, and physical activity.<\/p>\n<p>The most optimistic women (the top quartile) had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study compared with the least optimistic (the bottom quartile), the study found. The most optimistic women had a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancer; 38 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease; 39 percent lower risk of dying from stroke; 38 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease; and 52 percent lower risk of dying from infection.<\/p>\n<p>While other studies have linked optimism with reduced risk of early death from cardiovascular problems, this was the first to find a link between optimism and reduced risk from other major causes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrevious studies have shown that optimism can be altered with relatively uncomplicated and low-cost interventions \u2014 even something as simple as having people write down and think about the best possible outcomes for various areas of their lives, such as careers or friendships,\u201d said postdoctoral research fellow Kaitlin Hagan, co-lead author of the study. \u201cEncouraging use of these interventions could be an innovative way to enhance health in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Professor Francine Grodstein and Associate Professor Immaculata De Vivo, both in the Department of Epidemiology, and Laura Kubzansky, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness. Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Dawn DeMeo was also a co-author.<\/p>\n<p>The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Harvard study shows that although an optimistic outlook may help women live longer, one other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105622744,"featured_media":215157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":219,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2023-10-26 14:21","document_color_palette":"crimson","author":"Karen Feldscher","affiliation":"Harvard Chan School Communications","_category_override":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39644],"tags":[3872,16339,26009,37419,36108],"gazette-formats":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-215152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-american-journal-of-epidemiology","tag-harvards-department-of-social-and-behavioral-sciences","tag-nurses-health-study","tag-optimistic-outlook","tag-womens-health"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.0 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How power of positive thinking works &#8212; Harvard Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Harvard study shows that although an optimistic outlook may help women live longer, one other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems.\" 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optimistic.\n\u00a0\n","mediaId":215157,"mediaSize":"full","mediaType":"image","mediaUrl":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/happy_woman_605.jpg","poster":"","title":"How power of positive thinking works","subheading":"Study looks at mechanics of optimism in reducing risk of dying prematurely","centeredImage":true,"className":"is-style-full-width-text-below","mediaHeight":403,"mediaWidth":605,"backgroundFixed":false,"backgroundTone":"light","coloredBackground":false,"displayOverlay":true,"fadeInText":false,"isAmbient":false,"mediaLength":"","mediaPosition":"","posterText":"","titleAbove":false,"useUncroppedImage":false,"lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"403\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/happy_woman_605.jpg\" width=\"605\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A Harvard study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.\n\u00a0\n<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Credit: Estitxu Carton\/Creative Commons<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"403\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/happy_woman_605.jpg\" width=\"605\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A Harvard study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.\n\u00a0\n<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Credit: Estitxu Carton\/Creative Commons<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"\" height=\"403\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/happy_woman_605.jpg\" width=\"605\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">A Harvard study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.\n\u00a0\n<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Credit: Estitxu Carton\/Creative Commons<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tHealth\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tHow power of positive thinking works\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tKaren Feldscher\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Chan School Communications\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2016-12-07\">\n\t\t\tDecember 7, 2016\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t3 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tStudy looks at mechanics of optimism in reducing risk of dying prematurely\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t","innerContent":["\n\t\t"],"rendered":"\n\t\t"},{"blockName":"harvard-gazette\/supporting-content","attrs":{"id":"80da116c-b97a-4934-bb8e-315b77969707","align":"left","allowedBlocks":[],"style":[],"lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"harvard-gazette\/featured-articles","attrs":{"autoGenerate":false,"className":"is-style-grid-list","inPostContent":true,"numberOfPosts":1,"postIds":[215087],"showExcerpt":false,"title":"More like this","category":"","carouselOnDesktop":false,"isEditor":false,"linkText":"See all book reviews","passPostIds":false,"postOverrides":[],"postTypeOverride":"post","receivePostIds":false,"series":"","showCategory":true,"showDate":true,"gridColumns":2,"showDropShadow":false,"showFormat":true,"showImage":true,"showImageZoom":false,"showSeries":true,"showReadMore":true,"showReadTime":true,"tags":[],"useCurrentTerm":false,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","style":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[],"rendered":"\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/120216_happy_391_605_main.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/\">\n\t\t\tHealth\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/12\/can-happiness-lead-toward-health\/\">Can happiness lead toward health?<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2016-12-05\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 5, 2016\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t"}],"innerHTML":"<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-80da116c-b97a-4934-bb8e-315b77969707\"><\/div>","innerContent":["<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-80da116c-b97a-4934-bb8e-315b77969707\">","<\/div>"],"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-80da116c-b97a-4934-bb8e-315b77969707\">\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/120216_happy_391_605_main.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/\">\n\t\t\tHealth\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/12\/can-happiness-lead-toward-health\/\">Can happiness lead toward health?<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2016-12-05\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 5, 2016\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\r\n<p>Having an optimistic outlook on life \u2014 a general expectation that good things will happen \u2014 may help people live longer, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p>The study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death \u2014 including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection \u2014 over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>The study appears online today in the American Journal of Epidemiology.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhile most medical and public health efforts today focus on reducing risk factors for diseases, evidence has been mounting that enhancing psychological resilience may also make a difference,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/eric-kim\/\">Eric Kim<\/a>, research fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-lead author of the study. \u201cOur new findings suggest that we should make efforts to boost optimism, which has been shown to be associated with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of coping with life challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study also found that healthy behaviors only partially explain the link between optimism and reduced mortality risk. One other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems, Kim said.<\/p>\n<p>The study analyzed data from 2004 to 2012 from 70,000 women enrolled in the Nurses\u2019 Health Study, a long-running study tracking women\u2019s health via surveys every two years. They looked at participants\u2019 levels of optimism and other factors that might play a role in how optimism may affect mortality risk, such as race, high blood pressure, diet, and physical activity.<\/p>\n<p>The most optimistic women (the top quartile) had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study compared with the least optimistic (the bottom quartile), the study found. The most optimistic women had a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancer; 38 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease; 39 percent lower risk of dying from stroke; 38 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease; and 52 percent lower risk of dying from infection.<\/p>\n<p>While other studies have linked optimism with reduced risk of early death from cardiovascular problems, this was the first to find a link between optimism and reduced risk from other major causes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrevious studies have shown that optimism can be altered with relatively uncomplicated and low-cost interventions \u2014 even something as simple as having people write down and think about the best possible outcomes for various areas of their lives, such as careers or friendships,\u201d said postdoctoral research fellow Kaitlin Hagan, co-lead author of the study. \u201cEncouraging use of these interventions could be an innovative way to enhance health in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Professor Francine Grodstein and Associate Professor Immaculata De Vivo, both in the Department of Epidemiology, and Laura Kubzansky, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness. Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Dawn DeMeo was also a co-author.<\/p>\n<p>The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\r\n<p>Having an optimistic outlook on life \u2014 a general expectation that good things will happen \u2014 may help people live longer, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p>The study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death \u2014 including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection \u2014 over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>The study appears online today in the American Journal of Epidemiology.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhile most medical and public health efforts today focus on reducing risk factors for diseases, evidence has been mounting that enhancing psychological resilience may also make a difference,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/eric-kim\/\">Eric Kim<\/a>, research fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-lead author of the study. \u201cOur new findings suggest that we should make efforts to boost optimism, which has been shown to be associated with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of coping with life challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study also found that healthy behaviors only partially explain the link between optimism and reduced mortality risk. One other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems, Kim said.<\/p>\n<p>The study analyzed data from 2004 to 2012 from 70,000 women enrolled in the Nurses\u2019 Health Study, a long-running study tracking women\u2019s health via surveys every two years. They looked at participants\u2019 levels of optimism and other factors that might play a role in how optimism may affect mortality risk, such as race, high blood pressure, diet, and physical activity.<\/p>\n<p>The most optimistic women (the top quartile) had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study compared with the least optimistic (the bottom quartile), the study found. The most optimistic women had a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancer; 38 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease; 39 percent lower risk of dying from stroke; 38 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease; and 52 percent lower risk of dying from infection.<\/p>\n<p>While other studies have linked optimism with reduced risk of early death from cardiovascular problems, this was the first to find a link between optimism and reduced risk from other major causes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrevious studies have shown that optimism can be altered with relatively uncomplicated and low-cost interventions \u2014 even something as simple as having people write down and think about the best possible outcomes for various areas of their lives, such as careers or friendships,\u201d said postdoctoral research fellow Kaitlin Hagan, co-lead author of the study. \u201cEncouraging use of these interventions could be an innovative way to enhance health in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Professor Francine Grodstein and Associate Professor Immaculata De Vivo, both in the Department of Epidemiology, and Laura Kubzansky, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness. Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Dawn DeMeo was also a co-author.<\/p>\n<p>The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\r\n<p>Having an optimistic outlook on life \u2014 a general expectation that good things will happen \u2014 may help people live longer, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p>The study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death \u2014 including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection \u2014 over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>The study appears online today in the American Journal of Epidemiology.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhile most medical and public health efforts today focus on reducing risk factors for diseases, evidence has been mounting that enhancing psychological resilience may also make a difference,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/eric-kim\/\">Eric Kim<\/a>, research fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-lead author of the study. \u201cOur new findings suggest that we should make efforts to boost optimism, which has been shown to be associated with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of coping with life challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study also found that healthy behaviors only partially explain the link between optimism and reduced mortality risk. One other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems, Kim said.<\/p>\n<p>The study analyzed data from 2004 to 2012 from 70,000 women enrolled in the Nurses\u2019 Health Study, a long-running study tracking women\u2019s health via surveys every two years. They looked at participants\u2019 levels of optimism and other factors that might play a role in how optimism may affect mortality risk, such as race, high blood pressure, diet, and physical activity.<\/p>\n<p>The most optimistic women (the top quartile) had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study compared with the least optimistic (the bottom quartile), the study found. The most optimistic women had a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancer; 38 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease; 39 percent lower risk of dying from stroke; 38 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease; and 52 percent lower risk of dying from infection.<\/p>\n<p>While other studies have linked optimism with reduced risk of early death from cardiovascular problems, this was the first to find a link between optimism and reduced risk from other major causes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrevious studies have shown that optimism can be altered with relatively uncomplicated and low-cost interventions \u2014 even something as simple as having people write down and think about the best possible outcomes for various areas of their lives, such as careers or friendships,\u201d said postdoctoral research fellow Kaitlin Hagan, co-lead author of the study. \u201cEncouraging use of these interventions could be an innovative way to enhance health in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Professor Francine Grodstein and Associate Professor Immaculata De Vivo, both in the Department of Epidemiology, and Laura Kubzansky, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness. Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Dawn DeMeo was also a co-author.<\/p>\n<p>The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\r\n\r\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\r\n","\r\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-supporting-content alignleft supporting-content\" id=\"supporting-content-80da116c-b97a-4934-bb8e-315b77969707\">\n\t<div class=\"featured-articles is-post-type-post is-style-grid-list\"  style=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"featured-articles__title wp-block-heading\">More like this<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"featured-articles__list \">\n\t\t\n\t\t<li class=\"featured-article \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"featured-article__image\">\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/120216_happy_391_605_main.jpg?resize=1200%2C750\" class=\"attachment-large-landscape-desktop size-large-landscape-desktop\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"featured-article__category\" href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/\">\n\t\t\tHealth\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"featured-article__title wp-block-heading \"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2016\/12\/can-happiness-lead-toward-health\/\">Can happiness lead toward health?<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-article__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"featured-article__date\" datetime=\"2016-12-05\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 5, 2016\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"featured-article__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 min read\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>Having an optimistic outlook on life \u2014 a general expectation that good things will happen \u2014 may help people live longer, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.<\/p>\n<p>The study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death \u2014 including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection \u2014 over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.<\/p>\n<p>The study appears online today in the American Journal of Epidemiology.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWhile most medical and public health efforts today focus on reducing risk factors for diseases, evidence has been mounting that enhancing psychological resilience may also make a difference,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/eric-kim\/\">Eric Kim<\/a>, research fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-lead author of the study. \u201cOur new findings suggest that we should make efforts to boost optimism, which has been shown to be associated with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of coping with life challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study also found that healthy behaviors only partially explain the link between optimism and reduced mortality risk. One other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems, Kim said.<\/p>\n<p>The study analyzed data from 2004 to 2012 from 70,000 women enrolled in the Nurses\u2019 Health Study, a long-running study tracking women\u2019s health via surveys every two years. They looked at participants\u2019 levels of optimism and other factors that might play a role in how optimism may affect mortality risk, such as race, high blood pressure, diet, and physical activity.<\/p>\n<p>The most optimistic women (the top quartile) had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study compared with the least optimistic (the bottom quartile), the study found. The most optimistic women had a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancer; 38 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease; 39 percent lower risk of dying from stroke; 38 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease; and 52 percent lower risk of dying from infection.<\/p>\n<p>While other studies have linked optimism with reduced risk of early death from cardiovascular problems, this was the first to find a link between optimism and reduced risk from other major causes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPrevious studies have shown that optimism can be altered with relatively uncomplicated and low-cost interventions \u2014 even something as simple as having people write down and think about the best possible outcomes for various areas of their lives, such as careers or friendships,\u201d said postdoctoral research fellow Kaitlin Hagan, co-lead author of the study. \u201cEncouraging use of these interventions could be an innovative way to enhance health in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Professor Francine Grodstein and Associate Professor Immaculata De Vivo, both in the Department of Epidemiology, and Laura Kubzansky, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness. Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Dawn DeMeo was also a co-author.<\/p>\n<p>The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":312716,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2020\/09\/an-optimistic-outlook-may-be-a-healthier-one\/","url_meta":{"origin":215152,"position":0},"title":"The positive effects of optimism","author":"harvardgazette","date":"September 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A Harvard Chan School study has found a link between optimism and hypertension, describing the positive force as having a \u201cprotective effect\u201d on individuals, including those in combat.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Smiley Face balloon.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lidya-nada-_0aKunsplash1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lidya-nada-_0aKunsplash1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lidya-nada-_0aKunsplash1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/lidya-nada-_0aKunsplash1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69507,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2001\/11\/study-taking-heart-leads-to-better-heart-health\/","url_meta":{"origin":215152,"position":1},"title":"Study: Taking heart leads to better heart health","author":"gazetteimport","date":"November 29, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"Researchers at the School of Public Health (SPH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs have linked a more optimistic outlook in older men with a dramatically reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The study examined the effects of an optimistic versus pessimistic way of explaining events on the incidence\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Campus &amp; Community&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Campus &amp; Community","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/campus-community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":344537,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2022\/06\/optimism-lengthens-life-study-finds\/","url_meta":{"origin":215152,"position":2},"title":"Optimism lengthens life, study finds","author":"gazettebeckycoleman","date":"June 8, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Women who reported a positive outlook were likelier to live past 90, regardless of race or ethnicity.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hands forming binoculars seeing bright blue sky future.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220607_optimism_aging.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220607_optimism_aging.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220607_optimism_aging.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220607_optimism_aging.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":108039,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2012\/04\/protecting-the-heart-with-optimism\/","url_meta":{"origin":215152,"position":3},"title":"Protecting the heart with optimism","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Work by HSPH researchers suggests a connection between psychological well-being and a reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/04-18-cardiac-605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/04-18-cardiac-605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/04-18-cardiac-605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57510,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2001\/11\/research-suggests-optimistic-attitude-can-reduce-risk-of-heart-disease-in-older-men\/","url_meta":{"origin":215152,"position":4},"title":"Research suggests optimistic attitude can reduce risk of heart disease in older men","author":"harvardgazette","date":"November 21, 2001","format":false,"excerpt":"Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, working with colleagues from the Department of Veterans Affairs, studied some 1,306 Boston area men who were part of the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. In 1986, the volunteers completed a questionnaire that judged whether they were optimistic or pessimistic. They all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":304180,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2020\/05\/religious-services-may-lower-risk-of-deaths-of-despair\/","url_meta":{"origin":215152,"position":5},"title":"Healthy dose of religion","author":"harvardgazette","date":"May 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"New research from the Harvard Chan School found that people who attended religious services at least once a week were significantly less likely to die from \u201cdeaths of despair,\u201d including deaths related to suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol poisoning.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Health&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"People in line at gathering.","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/pedro-lima-HtwsbbClBOs-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/pedro-lima-HtwsbbClBOs-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/pedro-lima-HtwsbbClBOs-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/pedro-lima-HtwsbbClBOs-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/105622744"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215152"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266576,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215152\/revisions\/266576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215152"},{"taxonomy":"format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gazette-formats?post=215152"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=215152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}