New research suggests that having a sense of purpose might protect your heart and add years to your life. Scientists analyzed studies involving 136,000 individuals and found that those who felt strongly that their lives had meaning or that they were “useful” to others had a lower risk for heart disease and premature death than those whose lives felt less meaningful. Co-author Dr. Alan Rozanski writes, “The current findings are important because they may open up new potential interventions for helping people to promote their health and sense of well-being.”
Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, December 2015