- Aug 30, 2009
- 10
- 8
NEW STUDY FROM UNIV. OF PITTSBURGH: Black Women will live longer if they're less hostile and negative.
*University of Pittsburgh Medical Center internist Doctor Hilary Tindle summarized the results of her new study this way:
“We don’t know exactly why, but attitude does appear to matter when it comes to heart disease and health.”
The study showed that women who have a positive attitude appeared to give themselves protection against heart disease as well as extend their lives.
Interestingly, the women who seemed to benefit most from being optimistic were African American females. Optimistic Black women had a 33% lower risk for death than pessimistic Black women. The percentage benefit for optimistic white females was just 13 percent. Meanwhile, African American women with the highest scores for hostility and cynicism were 62 percent more likely to die early than Black women with positive attitudes.
The conclusions were based on women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative - a 15-year study which included 162,000 post-menopausal women of all races. The analysis done by Tindle and her team included 97,000 of those women.
Overall, optimistic women were more likely than pessimists to have higher incomes, more education, health insurance and attend church. Pessimists were more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and be overweight.
*University of Pittsburgh Medical Center internist Doctor Hilary Tindle summarized the results of her new study this way:
“We don’t know exactly why, but attitude does appear to matter when it comes to heart disease and health.”
The study showed that women who have a positive attitude appeared to give themselves protection against heart disease as well as extend their lives.
Interestingly, the women who seemed to benefit most from being optimistic were African American females. Optimistic Black women had a 33% lower risk for death than pessimistic Black women. The percentage benefit for optimistic white females was just 13 percent. Meanwhile, African American women with the highest scores for hostility and cynicism were 62 percent more likely to die early than Black women with positive attitudes.
The conclusions were based on women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative - a 15-year study which included 162,000 post-menopausal women of all races. The analysis done by Tindle and her team included 97,000 of those women.
Overall, optimistic women were more likely than pessimists to have higher incomes, more education, health insurance and attend church. Pessimists were more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and be overweight.
