Good Friends, Long Life!

Having a network of good friends may well increase a person’s life span, reports the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. A study of nearly 1,500 Australians aged 70 or over examined how relationships affected longevity over a ten-year period. Individuals with a strong network of friends had a mortality rate 22 percent lower than those with few friends. Active friendships also have a positive effect among the elderly when it comes to “depression, self efficacy, self esteem, coping and morale, or a sense of personal control,” says the report.