Longevity Project

What does it take to live to a hundred? Researchers have found that centenarians are often extroverts who embrace the world from an optimistic and carefree perspective.

The findings are from the Longevity Genes Project, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. They suggest that if you want to live a long life, concentrate on the positive and keep laughing All the participants in the study were over the age of 95, and of Eastern European Jewish descent.

They also had active social lives, and a tendency to share their feelings, rather than stifling them.

The researchers say the fact that these centenarians share such positive personality traits suggest that they may be associated with longevity. And here’s the really interesting thing. Although the participants had nice personalities at the time of the study, apparently, that was not always the case. Which is why the researchers think that it’s never too late to adopt a “can-do” spirit.

The study is published online edition of the journal Aging.