Many people have heard about the power of positive thinking, but who knew that it could apply to our healthy and longevity. A recent study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association studied the effect of optimism on women. It found that women who avoid negativity and have an optimistic view on life have not only healthier lives, but also longer lives.

The eight year study of post-menopausal women included 97,253 women between the ages of 50 and 79. At the beginning of the study, the women were relatively healthy (none of the women had cancer or heart disease) and they took questionnaires in order to develop their emotional outlook on life. This questionnaire included questions such as “It is safer to trust no one” and “In unclear times, I usually expect the best.”

The results of the study concluded that optimistic women had a 9% lower risk of getting heart disease and a 14% lower risk of dying as compared to pessimistic women. Similarly, women who had a high degree of cynical hostility were 16% more likely to die. Race was another factor that modified the relationship between optimism and death. African American optimists had a 33% lower risk of dying after the eight year study, whereas optimistic white women had a 13% lower risk. Other generalizations found in the study include that optimistic women tended to live in the Western US, be younger, have a higher education and income, be employed, be religious and have health insurance. The results of this study may cause you to change your mode of thinking because evidently happy thoughts lead to healthy lives.