Do you want to live longer? Stay close to your family

Family is, for most of us, the most important thing in the world. There are the people who love you and support you no matter how old you are or what are you going through. According to a new study, close family relationships seem more important than dear friends, if you want to live longer.

Researchers discovered that older adults who were very close with relatives had about a 6 percent risk of dying in the next five years. Those who were not close to their family had  a 14 percent, which means that this could help us more than friends.

It seems that social relationships do matter. Of course, having a friend by your side is sometimes all you need. However, if you are closer to your relatives, it has a bigger effect on your health. Why is this happening? People have more expectations from family. When they are having a problem or they get sick, their family should be there for them. If a friend disappoints you it is easier than if a relative does that.

Researchers said that not all the time family is better for you. There were cases where relatives were abusive or parents left their children alone. You should not associate them with a better life. However, for most people, it is easier to talk with their relatives about their problems and achievements. The study was presented at the American Sociological  Association, on Sunday.

There is still more research to make. We do not know for sure, what family really means. There are people who say their friends are their family, especially when they had been through a lot of things.

It seems that many people get into a relationship which was not formalized. It is not unusual to have a different type of family.

The study was made by asking older adults to say five of their closer confidents. They found out that people who were close to their relatives had a better chance to live. This happens because having someone to talk to can make you feel good. It is also important for us to know that, no matter what happens, someone is there for us. It makes us happier and healthier.

So if you want to live longer, you should stay close to your relatives. They might be the reason why you can enjoy life more.

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