Here is a reason to spend some more quality time with close friends and family!

A new study published in the latest issue of PLoS Medicine shows that good relationships can help increase life span in addition to making the life worth living. Persons with more number of good friends and family in contact have higher chances of living longer compared to lonesome people. Having good terms with friends and family relationships have an effective effect that’s as good as giving up cigarettes.

The study authors analyzed 148 inspections that studied the effect of good relationships, loneliness and death risk. This involved studying 308,849 people for about 7.5 years. People with good social relationships were found to be 50 per cent more likely to live longer not considering gender, age or general health along with other causes of death. The study failed to determine whether family relations are more important or friends but social relations of any kind are helpful.

Fostering relationships by calling on friends and neighbors, family get together and inviting colleague will make you live longer. The study advises people to always keep looking for ways to know others and supporting them as it is linked to mortality protection than gaining support.

There are various ways in which social relations can increase survival. The hypothesis about stress buffering suggests that close friends and family around you can absorb your stress. A direct effect model also explains that friends and family around you can help you develop healthy habits like for example if your friend or partner exercises then there are higher chances of even you getting involved.

The study advocates adding loneliness to the list of other public health problems like obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and alcohol. It was however not clear whether bonding on social networking websites like Facebook has any potential influence.

Source:

PLoS Medicine

Also Read:

• Sitting Longer Can Reduce Life Span
• Women say skinny jeans more satisfying than sex in online poll
• Insecure Relationships Cause Cardiovascular Problems
• Dealing with death of a loved one : HOW TO

by admin on 28. Jul, 2010 in Health News