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Show: October 25, 2009:
- H1N1 Flu Arrives in Indiana
- Neuroticism and Premature Death
- Patients Reading Physician's Notes
- Dr. Marie Savage on Probiotics
- Acai Berries: Health Food Hype
- Living with HIV/AIDS, Part 2
- Doc Chat: The Rorschach Test
- View all topics for the week
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Did You Know?: Neuroticism and Premature Death
Host: Jeremy Shere, PhD
Did you know that being neurotic can shorten your life?
That's because, according to a recent study, people prone to get easily stressed are also prone to drink and smoke to calm their nerves. And too much drinking and smoking typically lead to poor health.
The study speaks to a larger question about the relationship between personality and well-being.
Other studies have found intriguing links between personality traits and health. For example, people who are impulsive tend to die sooner than those who make more considered choices. Another study found that people who are relatively open-minded tend to live longer than people who are more rigid in their thinking. One study even found that anxiety and depression make you more vulnerable to catching colds.
The common denominator, it seems, is that stress in its many guises can result in physical problems. So for doctors, treating the body is often partly a matter of easing the mind.
And now you know.
Additional Resources:
- More on why neurotics die prematurely, from Live Science.
