Air date: August 29, 2010

Host: Jeremy Shere, PhD

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Did you Know? is presented by Wishard Health Services, becoming Eskenazi Health in 2014.

I’m Jeremy Shere.

Did you know that having good friends and a loving family may help you live longer?

Researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah looked at data from nearly 150 studies on the effects of relationships on longevity. They found that people reporting strong, emotionally satisfying relationships with friends, family, and spouses were 50% more likely to survive over a given time period.

This doesn’t prove anything, of course. And the study doesn’t say how much longer people with good relationships live.

But it strongly suggests that having positive relationships is beneficial. Other studies have found that being happily married is conducive to better health -- perhaps because a caring spouse encourages and supports good health habits.

Having supportive friends and family may also lower stress and boost the immune system.

And now you know.

Additional Resources:

• Find out more about the Brigham Young longevity study at Medical Daily News.