Daily HealthBeat Tip

Better to give

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

It's better to give than to receive, as the saying goes. And a researcher at the University of Michigan can back that up. Neal Krause looked at churchgoers ages 66 and older who had money troubles. Some gave emotional support to others in the church; others were not very involved.

Krause says giving help to others seemed to reduce the stress created by the help-giver's own money problems.

"Among people who had significant economic problems, providing emotional support to the people they worshiped with reduced their odds of dying, over time." (seven seconds)

Krause says those who gave the least support had the highest risk of death.

"Based on these findings, I'd say I'd encourage older people to get involved in helping." (four seconds)

The study supported by the National Institutes of Health was in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: October 25, 2006

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