This Just In

A roundup of new and noteworthy insights from the week’s most talked-about studies:

1 HAPPINESS DEFINITELY IMPROVES HEALTH

A review in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being that analyzed more than 150 studies found that high subjective well-being–a rating people give their own lives–can positively affect everything from the cardiovascular system to immunity.

2 ONE IN THREE CASES OF DEMENTIA COULD BE PREVENTED

A report in The Lancet found that practicing healthier habits in nine ways, such as avoiding smoking and keeping blood pressure reasonable, could prevent brain decline in one-third of all dementia patients.

3 BELIEVING YOU’RE NOT ACTIVE COULD DIMINISH EXERCISE BENEFITS

A study in Health Psychology analyzing data from over 60,000 adults controlled for activity level and found that people who believed they were less active than others were 71% more likely to die during the study’s follow-up period of up to 21 years than those who thought they were more active.

–J.Z.