The likelihood of dying due to any cause was 19% lower for happy older people.
By PTI |
SINGAPORE: Happiness can prolong life in older adults, say scientists including one of Indian origin. The study, published in the journal Age and Ageing, used data for 4,478 participants of a survey to look at the association between happiness, assessed in the year 2009, and subsequent likelihood of dying due to any cause, until December 31, 2015.
"The findings indicate that even small increments in happiness may be beneficial to older people's longevity," said Rahul Malhotra, assistant professor at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore.
"Therefore individual-level activities as well as government policies and programmes that maintain or improve happiness or psychological well-being may contribute to a longer life among older people," said Malhotra.
The survey was focused on individuals' aged 60 years and older living in Singapore.
Secret To A Happy Life! Smart Lifestyle Changes Can Keep Your Heart Healthy
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In times when lifestyle induced diseases are on the rise, it becomes important to understand the risk factors and work in the direction to eradicate them especially, if one has a family history of heart diseases.
Here are five smart ways listed by Anjali Malhotra, Chief Customer Marketing and Digital Officer Aviva Life insurance to prevent heart problems in today's busy life.
In times when lifestyle induced diseases are on the rise, it becomes important to understand the risk factors and work in the direction to eradicate them especially, if one has a family history of he..
Read More
In order to keep your heart healthy, it is important to indulge in exercise each day.
A daily exercise schedule in any form of physical activity for a period of 30-45 minutes is crucial to ensure that the arteries remain flexible.
Small changes in your physical activity can help in bringing positive change in your routine.
Studies have shown that brisk walking may add about two hours to the life expectancy of some adults.
Few changes in lifestyle such as taking the stairs instead the elevator, parking at the furthest end of a parking lot and taking a break from the office for a short walk during your lunch hour help in keeping the body in shape and inculcating a habit of healthy living.
In addition, few yoga asanas such as Virbhadrasana, Tadasana, Utkatasana, Bhujangasana and Vrikshasana also helps in preventing heart problems. If you practice these five yoga postures daily, you can reduce substantial risk of heart problems.
In order to keep your heart healthy, it is important to indulge in exercise each day.
A daily exercise schedule in any form of physical activity for a period of 30-45 minutes is crucial to ensure th..
Read More
Eating right is the key to a healthy heart and a healthy life. However, majority of us tend to ignore it.
What you eat directly affects your heart. Therefore, ensure the intake of green and leafy vegetables, exclude sugar and aerated drinks from your diet, replace sweetened beverages with water as much as possible and bring down the intake of processed foods and refined flour.
Too much sodium can also cause excess fluid in the body that puts an extra strain on your heart. Therefore, it is best to adapt to variety of spices, herbs and flavours that are an alternative to salt.
Also, exclude red meats from the diet in order to avoid bad cholesterol. Keep the intake of oil and sugar minimal which will further help in reducing the risk of heart problems.
Eating right is the key to a healthy heart and a healthy life. However, majority of us tend to ignore it.
What you eat directly affects your heart. Therefore, ensure the intake of green and leafy ve..
Read More
Excess body weight is dangerous for the heart. Keep an eye on weight as it elevates chances of getting high cholesterol levels, which may lead to diabetes, risk of artery disease, and blood pressure.
Keep a check on BMI (Body Mass Index) and maintain it to optimal levels.
Excess body weight is dangerous for the heart. Keep an eye on weight as it elevates chances of getting high cholesterol levels, which may lead to diabetes, risk of artery disease, and blood pressure...
Read More
Smoking and alcohol will have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. These habits are known to elevate blood pressure, causing irregular heartbeat and stokes.
Not only that, it leads to overall disruption in the normal functioning of the heart. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid consumption of both or consume it in moderation and gradually phase it out. It may be difficult to follow but worth the effort.
Smoking and alcohol will have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. These habits are known to elevate blood pressure, causing irregular heartbeat and stokes.
Not only that, it leads t..
Read More
Various studies have established that stress is one of the biggest triggers of heart problems. It can cause aches and pains, trigger feelings of anxiety and depression, and lower your energy.
Try and keep stress at bay. Look for activities other than work which helps keep stress levels in check.
Indulge in a hobby or a positive self-talk, listen to music or reading a good book or meditate.
These techniques have helped in reducing stress and developing a positive outlook towards work and life.
Various studies have established that stress is one of the biggest triggers of heart problems. It can cause aches and pains, trigger feelings of anxiety and depression, and lower your energy.
Try an..
Happiness was assessed by asking the survey participants how often in the past week they experienced the following: 'I felt happy', 'I enjoyed life' and 'I felt hope about the future'.
Their responses were considered in two distinct ways; a 'happiness score', and a 'binary happiness variable -- Happy/Unhappy'.
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A wide range of demographics, lifestyle choices, health and social factors were accounted for in the analysis.
The researchers found that among happy older people, 15 per cent passed away until December 31, 2015.
In contrast, the corresponding proportion was higher, at 20 per cent, among unhappy older people.
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Every increase of one point on the happiness score lowered the chance of dying due to any cause among participants by an additional nine per cent.
The likelihood of dying due to any cause was 19 per cent lower for happy older people.
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Further, the inverse association of happiness with mortality was consistently present among men and women, and among the young-old (aged 60-79 years) and the old-old (aged 75 years or older).
"The consistency of the inverse association of happiness with mortality across age groups and gender is insightful -- men and women, the young-old and the old-old, all are likely to benefit from an increase in happiness," said June May-Ling Lee, from Duke-NUS Medical School.
Warren Buffett’s life hacks: No smartphone, 5 bottles of Coke every day, and an old Cadillac
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The most successful investor in the world, Warren Buffett, is a business magnate and a philanthropist, valued at $68.2 bn.
On Monday, he donated roughly $3.17 bn of Berkshire Hathaway Inc stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities. This is his largest contribution in a more than decade-long plan to give away his fortune.
Berkshire said Buffett has made $27.54 bn in donations since 2006 to the five charities, including roughly $21.9 bn to the Gates Foundation.
The most successful investor in the world, Warren Buffett, is a business magnate and a philanthropist, valued at $68.2 bn.On Monday, he donated roughly $3.17 bn of Berkshire Hathaway Inc stock to the..
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Even since he was young, Buffett’s not only been tactful, but an extremely intelligent and hard worker.
While still in high school, he made money delivering newspapers, selling golf balls and stamps, and detailing cars, among other means.
By the time he turned 16, he had amassed the equivalent of $53,000.
Even since he was young, Buffett’s not only been tactful, but an extremely intelligent and hard worker.
While still in high school, he made money delivering newspapers, selling golf balls and stamps..
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You might expect a billionaire like Buffett to live in a sprawling mansion in some secluded location looking out to the sea or something.
Instead, he continues to live in the same house in the central Dundee neighborhood of Omaha that he bought in 1958 for $31,500.
You might expect a billionaire like Buffett to live in a sprawling mansion in some secluded location looking out to the sea or something.Instead, he continues to live in the same house in the central..
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On a typical day, Buffett said he has three Cokes during the day and two at night. The world's fourth-richest man also loves his ice cream.
On a typical day, Buffett said he has three Cokes during the day and two at night. The world's fourth-richest man also loves his ice cream.
It’s not unusual for billionaires to drive Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis or Bentleys or have their own fleet of luxury cars to choose from.
However, this isn’t the case for Buffett. Up until 2014, Buffett, who prefers vehicles by Ford and General Motors, drove an eight-year-old Cadillac.
It’s not unusual for billionaires to drive Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis or Bentleys or have their own fleet of luxury cars to choose from.
However, this isn’t the case for Buffett. Up until 2014, Buff..
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It comes as no surprise that for being as successful as Buffett has been, knowledge and a supreme understanding of things has played a key role.
However, it's not just newspapers and business reports that he consumes but he is an avid fan of reading fiction. So much so that he claims to spend 80% of his day reading about something or the other.
It comes as no surprise that for being as successful as Buffett has been, knowledge and a supreme understanding of things has played a key role.However, it's not just newspapers and business reports ..
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