Research has found that negative emotions could be linked to serious health problems, leading to disability or death

It seems Eric Idle was right: we should always look on the bright side of life.

Those who have a sunny disposition are 14 per cent less likely to die young than their gloomier friends and colleagues. They also have a 35 per cent lower risk of having a heart attack, stroke or developing angina, according to research.

The benefits are so great, said the study’s authors, that it might be possible to improve the health of heart patients by giving them “happiness lessons”.

Heart and circulatory diseases, including strokes, cause more than a quarter of all deaths in the UK. More than 100,000 Britons are admitted to hospital each year with a heart attack, while strokes are the main cause of disability.

Alan