Strong relationships key to long life, study suggests

[Danny]

                  I found this article very interesting and thought some may like to see it.
here is the link http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20100728/relationships-health-100728/


Having great friends, a strong marriage and children who love you may be just as important to living a long life as something like quitting smoking, a new study finds.

Researchers from Brigham Young University have found that people who have lots of close relationships have better odds of living a long life than those who are lonely.

The study, which appears in the July issue of PLoS Medicine, found that strong social connections improve our odds of survival by 50 per cent. In fact, the protective effect of strong social relationships exceeds the influence of other early-death risk factors, such as:

    * not exercising
    * obesity

Low social interaction, on the other hand, is equivalent to:

    * smoking 15 cigarettes a day
    * being an alcoholic

"The idea that a lack of social relationships is a risk factor for death is still not widely recognized by health organizations and the public," write PLoS Medicine editors in a summary of the study.


      In principle I think this study is on to something. Being isolated, depressed and lonely cannot be healthful for anyone. I have been cheered up so many times by a friends phone call or visit. And I would not want to be without my little Lady. I don't even want to lose anymore of my pets.
                                                           Thank God for folks.

[bluesman67]

I believe it.  Throw in some good friends and daily guitar and you will have a long happy life!

[JOYCEfromNS]

Interesting article Dan. Gotta wonder tho if the risk factors are mutually exclusive as take for instance alcoholism and loneliness most times go hand and hand