Half full or half empty? The answer could predict a person's risk of heart disease and early death
We're told to always look on the bright side of life - and now it seems there's a good reason why.
People with a positive outlook on life are twice as likely to have healthier hearts and circulation, researchers claim.
Not only that, optimists take better care of themselves.
Compared to their more negative counterparts, they had significantly better blood sugar, healthier cholesterol readings and were more physically active.
They were also more likely to have a healthier body mass index and less likely to smoke.
The researchers, from the University of Illinois, suggested boosting people's mental well being could help tackle poor health.
A person is at risk of heart disease if they have high blood pressure, smoke, have high blood cholesterol, are diabetic, do not exercise, are overweight or obese or have a family history of heart disease.
Rosalba Hernandez, professor of social work, said: 'Individuals with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to their more pessimistic counterparts.
'This association remains significant, even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and poor mental health.'
The study published in the journal Health Behavior and Policy Review was the first to examine associations between optimism and heart health in more than 5,000 US adults.
Their heart health was measured and scored as poor, intermediate and ideal.
The scoring was based on their blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar readings, cholesterol levels, diet, physical activity and whether they used tobacco.
They were also quizzed on their outlook on life and physical health, with researchers asking if they suffered from arthritis, liver and kidney disease.
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People who were the most optimistic were 50 and 76 per cent more likely to have total health scores in the intermediate or ideal ranges, respectively.
The association between optimism and cardiovascular health was even stronger when socio-demographic characteristics such as age, race and ethnicity, income and education status were factored in.
People who were the most optimistic were twice as likely to have ideal heart health, and 55 per cent more likely to have a total health score in the intermediate range.
Professor Hernandez said: 'At the population level, even this moderate difference in cardiovascular health translates into a significant reduction in death rates.'
The study backs up previous findings about the health benefits of being an optimist.
Those who with a positive outlook on life are twice as likely to have healthier hearts and circulation, researchers claim. Not only did optimists have a more positive outlook, they took better care of themselves
Researchers at University of Pittsburgh found women who were optimistic were 14 per cent less likely to die from any cause than pessimists.
They were also 30 per cent less likely to die from heart disease after eight years of follow up in the study.
Optimists also were also less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes or smoke cigarettes.
But don't overdo it: One researcher believes a 'realistic sense of optimism' is key.
Sophie Chou, an organisational psychology researcher at National Taiwan University, claims people with this mindset are more likely to be happy and successful than those who are pessimistic or wildly optimistic.
A realistic optimist is defined as someone who looks on the bright side of life but has a realistic grasp on the present and what to expect in life.
She said realistic optimists use their realism to perform well at work and in exams, while their positive outlook enables them to dodge periods of depression and helps them spot opportunities.
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