(NEW YORK) — If you’re a pessimist by nature, your health could suffer — but if you’re an optimist, you may not be after reading this: researchers say it doesn’t improve your health.
An 11-year-long Finnish study published in BMC Public Health reveals that a pessimistic attitude could increase the risk of death from heart disease — but the study of more than 2,200 people revealed no health benefits for optimists.
The researchers followed more than 2,200 people and asked to rate statements like, “If something can go wrong for me, it will” as to if they agree or disagree with them.
After the subjects’ death, scientists looked into why.
In the end, scientists concluded pessimism, “seems to be a substantial risk factor” for death from coronary heart disease, though, ironically, looking on the sunny side did nothing to boost their chances.
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