Guest guest Posted May 5, 2001 Report Share Posted May 5, 2001 I'm forwarding this from a post to the AbeHealth group at Groups. I don't have a link to the original research. If you believe all is well, it is.... People who see the proverbial glass as half empty may be nearly four times more likely than their optimistic peers to come down with a cold. According to a new report, psychological stress, particularly the chronic type that may accompany a neurotic and negative personality, is a risk factor for colds. An optimistic outlook and outgoing personality seemed to protect individuals, investigators found. The findings indicate that high levels of psychological stress are moderately associated with common colds. While the common cold is rarely serious, it can be blamed for about 30 million days of lost work in the US each year. To investigate whether stress increased the likelihood of developing a cold, the researchers surveyed more than 1,100 Spanish university staff and students at regular intervals over a 1-year period. The study homed in on different types of stress including stress life events, perceived stress, and having a generally negative outlook and neurotic personality compared with a positive and extroverted one. Individuals with a negative outlook were at greatest risk of developing colds regardless of their use of vitamin C and zinc, and their smoking and drinking habits. Those at next highest risk were individuals who believed that they were under stress. These people were nearly three times as likely to develop a cold, the report indicates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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