Those with 'rage to age' live longer

MONTREAL, June 17 (UPI) -- Canadian and U.S. researchers say seniors who "rage" against threats to their health may survive later in life.

Carsten Wrosch of Concordia University in Montreal and Richard Schulz of the University of Pittsburgh examined the long-term health impacts of becoming actively involved in one's health in an effort to prevent further decline. Such strategies include investing time and energy in dealing with even minor health issues, seeking help when health problems are encountered and believing that one can overcome health problems when they arise.

The researchers studied elderly participants' report of daily physical symptoms such as chest pain or difficulty breathing in the presence of severe chronic diseases such as arthritis or cancer and functional limitations such as difficulty dressing.

The study, published in Psychological Science, found that among older adults who experienced many daily physical symptoms, those who did not invest in counteracting these challenges developed approximately one additional chronic health problem and one additional functional limitation two years later.

In contrast, no physical health declines were observed among older adults who were actively engaged in overcoming these health threats.