Strong relationships predict a longer life
What they found
People with strong social relationships were about 50 percent more likely to still be alive over the study periods than people with weak ones - an effect on par with quitting smoking and larger than obesity or inactivity.
How they know
A meta-analysis of 148 studies following over 308,000 people for an average of 7.5 years, combining every measure of social ties with mortality records.
What it means for you
The people in your life are not a luxury after health - they are health. Investing an hour in a real meeting belongs on the same list as exercise and sleep.
The limits
Observational data - relationships and health influence each other; the studies measured having ties more precisely than their quality.
This is a short takeaway in our own words, not a reproduction of the study. For the method, the sample and the caveats, read the original. Mind lives inside the Booking Minds app under the brain icon, where you can save and share each piece.