Does gratitude or optimism benefit your health and longevity?
Greater optimism is associated in several large, long-running studies with a substantially lower risk of cardiovascular mortality and a greater chance of healthy ageing. These are associations, not proven cause and effect, but the pattern is remarkably consistent and its magnitude is large enough to take seriously.
Optimism is associated with a clearly lower risk of premature death in several large cohort studies. In a Dutch cohort study of 941 older adults followed for just over nine years, the most optimistic group had a 45% lower chance of dying than the most pessimistic group (hazard ratio 0.55). The protective effect was greatest for cardiovascular mortality: the most optimistic quartile had a 77% lower chance of dying from cardiovascular causes, even after adjustment for risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol.
A separate study of 545 older men followed for fifteen years found that the most optimistic men had a 55% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality than the least optimistic. This association held up after adjustment for depression. Among more than 70,000 women in the Nurses' Health Study, the most optimistic women had a significantly lower risk of death from multiple causes, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. After adjustment for health behaviours and depression, an independent association remained. A separate analysis of more than 33,000 women showed that optimism was also associated with a 23% greater chance of healthy ageing -- meaning not only living longer but also maintaining physical function and remaining free of major chronic diseases.
One possible explanation for the heart-protective effect is that more optimistic people show a smaller rise in blood pressure and heart rate in response to stress. This was established in a laboratory setting with younger adults and gives a biological direction to the broader picture, but says nothing yet about long-term effects. A notable detail from the Young Finns Study: the absence of pessimism turned out to be a better predictor of heart-healthy behaviour than the presence of optimism. Optimism and pessimism are therefore not simply opposites of each other.
Gratitude exercises -- such as writing down weekly what you are grateful for -- improve feelings of well-being compared with a control group, although this does not work equally well across all outcome measures. The effect on physical complaints is far less convincing. A randomised study of 76 women found no direct effect of a six-week gratitude intervention on inflammatory markers in the blood. An indirect pathway via increased social support looked interesting, but has been studied too little to draw any conclusions from.
All evidence on optimism and longevity is based on years of observation of groups of people, not on experiments in which someone was taught to become more optimistic. It is therefore not a proven cause-and-effect relationship. Nevertheless, the pattern is remarkably consistent across multiple large studies, and for optimism the numbers speak for themselves.
All claims are based on the supplied abstracts. The figures 45%, 77% and 55% come directly from the cohort studies (PMID 15520360 and 16505263). The 23% for healthy ageing is taken from PMID 30573140. The 29% for total mortality in women and the 9% after full adjustment are from PMID 27927621, but the instruction was not to use 29%; the claim is now formulated descriptively without that figure.
Does regular sauna use help you live longer?
Regular sauna bathing is associated with a lower risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease in large observational studies, but a proven causal link is absent. For healthy adults it is a safe addition to an active lifestyle, not a replacement for one.
Does taking omega-3 help you stay healthy for longer?
Omega-3 reliably lowers your blood fats, but has not yet been proven to make you live longer or healthier. If you already have heart disease, discuss with your doctor whether omega-3 is a worthwhile addition to your treatment.
Does CoQ10 help your heart or your energy levels?
For people with moderate to severe heart failure, CoQ10 has the most convincing evidence base; for energy in healthy people the evidence is too thin to promise anything, but the compound is safe.
What does my blood pressure say about my long-term health?
A structurally high or strongly fluctuating blood pressure substantially increases your risk of stroke, heart attack and premature death. Small adjustments such as eating less salt and measuring regularly make a demonstrable difference.
Does coffee lower the risk of premature death?
Coffee (2 to 4 cups per day, preferably in the morning and without much sugar) is associated with a lower risk of premature death, but this is an association, not a proven cause. Pregnant women are better off avoiding coffee.
Does your resting heart rate say anything about how fast you are ageing?
A structurally high resting heart rate, certainly above 80 to 90 beats per minute, is associated with a clearly higher risk of premature death. Exercising to lower your resting heart rate is worthwhile, but a very low heart rate at an older age is not always a good sign: if in doubt, discuss it with your doctor.