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“All We Need is Love” or Something about Healthy Aging

By Dr. Nelly Stoyanova

It turns out that The Beatles were right. All we need to thrive in life and age successfully is love. One man dedicated 42 years to studying love and its role in life. His name is George Vaillant and he is the head of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. The study included 2 groups of men. The first group was called the "Grant Study" (included 268 Harvard graduates from the classes of 1939-1944). The second group (originally selected for a study by Harvard Law School professor Sheldon Glueck between 1940 and 1945) was called "Glueck Study" and comprised 456 men who grew up in the inner-city neighborhoods of Boston.

The men from the two groups were followed through marriage, parenthood, career, divorce, illness and in some cases until death.

This impressive longitudinal study of human behavior is the longest one to date (68 years), and the only one that closely examined the process of human aging from early adulthood, focusing on personality traits, social, and biological factors as predictors of the aging process.

Every 2 years the participants completed questionnaires covering many aspects of their lives like mariage, career, etc. Health information was collected every 5 years and most of the men have been interviewed over the years to provide more detailed information about their relationships and their adjustment to aging.

What predicts healthy aging?

According to Dr. Vaillant and Dr. Mukamal (give link to article) the 2 major predictors of successful aging are: high level of education (probably reflecting traits of self-care), and having an extended family network. The study emphasizes the importance of loving relationships because relationships in late life withstand some of the greatest stresses of the life cycle, such as illness and declining physical function. As Dr. Vaillant beautifully put it in one interview: “The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people. Happiness is love.”

References:

Vaillant CO and Vaillant GE. (1993) "Is the U-Curve of Marital Satisfaction an Illusion? A 40-Year Study of Marriage." Journal of Marriage and the Family 55:1, 230—239. © 1993 National Council on Family Relations.

Vaillant GE and Vaillant CO. (1990) "Natural History of Male Psychological Health XII: A 45-year Study of Predictors of Successful Aging at Age 65." Am J Psychiatry 147, 31—37. © 1990 American Psychiatric Association

Peterson C, Vaillant GE and Seligman MEP. (1988) "Pessimistic Explanatory Style is a Risk Factor for Physical Illness: A Thirty-Five-Year Longitudinal Study." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 55:1, 23—27. © 1988 American Psychiatric Association

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Author's bio: Dr. Nelly Stoyanova is a physician, medical researcher and health behavior expert. She studies the effects of stress on heart disease, type 2 diabetes and sleep. Her website: Belly Fat, Stress and Baby Boomers (http://www.stress-fat-heart-solutions-for-boomers.com) evaluates sources of stress for people over 50 and provides great tips to balance your day-to-day stress and stay healthy. Turn your life around and benefit from her expertise. For individual guidance sessions or to schedule a public speaking event use the Contact page or email at drnstoyanova@gmail.com