'Cynical Hostility' Group, Pessimists Would Likely Harm Health And Age Faster, A Study Says

People who are always angry and hostile that belong to a "cynical hostility" group and those who are pessimistic would likely harm their health and age faster. They will have shorter telomeres, which are at the end of human chromosomes.

The telomeres protect the chromosomes from vanishing. Once the cell is divided, the telomeres get shorter. This means humans age once the telomeres became short.

The study was led by Nobel-winning scientists Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel. They examined some behavioral actions and their effect in telomeres. They stated that certain behaviors such as thought patterns could tend to shorten telomeres, according to Inc.

The scientists discovered that the cynical hostility group that is characterized by high anger and thoughts that other people could not be trusted has unhealthy telomeres. Thus, the people in this group have shorter telomeres and at the same time could have the greater risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease and shorten longevity and probably die young. In the past study involving British civil servants, the participants who had high scores on cynical hostility had shorter telomeres compared to those men with low scores, according to Ideas Ted.

Likewise, those who are pessimistic would likely have shorter telomeres. They could also suffer health problems and will die younger. They could also acquire diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

The researchers pointed to another destructive thought pattern that can harm health such as not letting go of the past. They called this rumination, in which the individual rehashes what went wrong all over again and again. This could lead to stress and higher levels of anxiety and depression. The opposite of this rumination is the thoughtful introspection, which is better, healthy and normal.

So, if in case an individual is being pessimistic, hostile or having ruminating experience, it is recommended to brace yourself and acknowledge your upsetting thinking. The scientists advise to let that thought dwindle away from your thinking.