The authors report on 188 healthy college men followed biennially from
age 19 years to age 63. A relatively low standing heart rate and long
treadmill running time in college predicted mental--but not physical--
health during the next 40 years, whereas a relatively low blood pressure
predicted future physical--but not mental--health. These relationships
remained significant when the effects of physical fitness and body build
were partialled out, suggesting that psychological components of
physiologic phenomena accounted for their prediction of mental health
outcome. The authors speculate that a high resting heart rate reflected
social anxiety and prolonged running time reflected perseverance and
stoicism.Abstract Teaser