A sunnier disposition could be the key to a happier, longer life. According to studies, optimism, or the tendency to believe that good things will happen, may reduce one's risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or other conditions.

In order to delve deeper into this theory, researchers formed a study where they observed a group of elderly men and women between the ages of 65-85. At the start of the nine-year trial, each subject took a survey on general well being, which gauged his or her tendency to be optimistic or pessimistic. Of the 941 subjects observed, four subgroups were formed to reflect the levels of optimism or pessimism among the group as a whole.

Information pertaining to each subject's lifestyle, occupation, education and health history were also collected. When the nine-year period was complete, researchers discovered:

• Forty-two percent of the study group had died
• Those with the highest levels of optimism at the start of the study had the lowest death rates (30 percent versus more than 57 percent in the most pessimistic group)
• With the other factors considered, the risk of death was 29 percent lower among those who were highly optimistic

Researchers also concluded that people who lived their life as optimists reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease. In fact, optimists were 77 percent less likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than pessimists.

This was apparent in the study even without taking into account lifestyle factors such as:

• Age
• Weight
• Smoking

A history of cardiovascular or other chronic diseases

Further, this reduced risk of death could be associated with an optimist's ability to cope with adversity, as well as the inclination to seek medical treatment when ill.

Yahoo News November 1, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This obvious link between physical and emotional health has a lot to do with the natural healing processes we all have, if we choose to use them. It's true, negative thoughts and emotions may eventually hurt your body in some way or another. So, it is nice to see that researchers are starting to make the connection between the healing process and emotional health. For me, the way to connect with the "inner healer" is through prayer. In fact, it is an essential element of the model that I have adopted for healing. The only thing prayer will cost you is your time. It doesn't make sense to me why someone would NOT utilize this resource. One simple, powerful application of prayer that I recommend is journaling, which has been shown to be useful in treating chronic illness. However, if this is difficult for you, here are three more ways to keep a positive outlook: If you are interested in learning more about the power of prayer and how it affects medical science, I suggest you read Dr. Larry Dossey's article on Prayer and Medical Science. Meditation. To heighten your meditation experience, I recommend getting a copy of the Insight CD. This is a brain wave entrainment tool, which allows your brain to rapidly and easily synchronize to the delta waves commonly experienced in meditation. It does a phenomenal job of enhancing and expanding emotion, mental and spiritual capabilities. The energy psychology tool Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This is one way to get your emotions back on the right track. EFT is a psychological acupressure method that I routinely use in my practice and most highly recommend to optimize your emotional health. Related Articles: Can Spirituality Improve Your Health? Should Physicians Prescribe Religious Activities? Retroactive Prayer Visual Evidence of the Power of Prayer, Gratitude and Appreciation Sense of Purpose in Your Life Protects Your Health Too