If you are frequently hostile to other people, a magnet for stress and look at the world as if it dealt you a hard blow, you may be doing more than just pushing people away.

Apparently, having a negative attitude means you are more likely to suffer from a stroke when you are older – eek.

The findings of a new study published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, looked at  nearly 7,000 men and women aged between 45 – 84 and found that over the years a total of 147 had strokes and  48 had a mini stroke.

Study leader Dr Susan Everson-Rose, from the University of Minnesota in the US, said: “There’s such a focus on traditional risk factors – cholesterol levels, blood pressure, smoking and so forth – and those are all very important, but studies like this one show that psychological characteristics are equally important. Given our ageing population, it’s important to consider these other factors that might play a role in disease risk.”

As the song goes: “Always look on the bright side of life” – it may actually keep you going for longer