According to a new US study, people who are shy face a higher risk of dying from a heart disease or stroke than those who are sociable.
Shyness can be described as a feeling of apprehension or lack of confidence experienced by a person with regard to social association with others.
The study results showed that sociable men have been found to have healthier hearts than their more reserved counterparts.
The study also found that shy people are 50% more likely to die from a heart disease or stroke.
Researchers from Chicago’s Northwestern University tracked the health of over 2000 men over a time period of 30 years. At the start of the study, the men who were aged between 40 to 55, filled in questionnaires designed to set their levels of sociability.
By the end of the study, 60% had died. Comparing the questionnaire results with death certificate details revealed a clear link between shyness and heart disease, the researchers said.
The shyest men were 50% more likely to have died of a heart attack or stroke than the most outgoing men.
This was true even when factors more commonly linked to heart disease such as smoking, high cholesterol levels and obesity were taken into account.
The study also found that there was no link between sociability and other ailments.
However, the researchers admitted that it was not clear why unsociable men should have more heart problems.