Two recent studies suggest surprising but heartwarming keys to a longer life. You're more likely to rack up the years if you:

Expect the best. Of 100,000 women in the Women's Health Initiative study, those rated optimistic by special questionnaires were 14 percent less likely than pessimists to die during the study's first eight years. "Optimists are master copers," points out investigator Hilary Tindle, MD. "They have strong social networks and handle stress better, which could make a difference."

Care for a loved one. Despite the stress involved, men and women who put in the most time taking care of a spouse cut their own risk of dying by 36 percent over a seven-year period, researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor found. Aiding a loved one may release the "bonding" hormone oxytocin, countering cortisol, a stress hormone that can raise blood pressure and interfere with regulation of the immune system, the scientists speculate.
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