People who trust others are likely to live longer than their more suspicious friends, says study claiming older people are generally more optimistic

Forget having a healthy dose of cynicism – trusting others could add years to your life, a study suggests.

Researchers found that men and women who believe in the kindness of strangers are likely to live longer than their more suspicious friends.

Seeing the best in others seems to be particularly good for the heart, with deaths from cardiac problems 13 per cent less likely. 

+2

Trusting other people could add years to your life, a new study has suggested. Researchers found that men and women who believe in the kindness of strangers are likely to live longer

The study compared death records with answers to a question on trust in a long-running US survey. The question was: ‘Would you say that most people can be trusted or that you cannot be too careful?’

Just 37 per cent of the 24,000 participants agreed that most people can be trusted. And 58 per cent said you can’t be too careful while 5 per cent were undecided.

They found that men were more trusting than women and married and older people were generally more optimistic.

The researchers from Stockholm University explained that seeing the good in others may make it easier to cope with life’s ups and downs. 

+2

Seeing the best in others means you're less likely to suffer from heart problems later on in life

But being suspicious may increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which over time could increase the risk of heart attacks. 

Those who distrust may also be more likely to drink and smoke.

The study, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, concluded: ‘There is a clear survival advantage for individuals who trust strangers.’ 

But researcher Alexander Miething added that sometimes cynicism is needed as it’s wise to ‘watch out for people who intend to misuse your trust’.