Study May Hold Key To Secret Of A Longer Life By James Matthews, Sky News Correspondent Researchers believe they may have unlocked the secret to a longer life - a sense of meaning and purpose. A new study by University College London studied people with an average age of 65 and found that those who enjoyed "wellbeing" were likely to live longer. It defined the key components of wellbeing as a sense of control, a feeling that what you are doing is worthwhile, and a sense of purpose in life. Researchers tracked the sample group for eight-and-a-half years after the age of 65 and found that those at the upper end of the "wellbeing scale" were 30% less likely to die during that period. Professor Andrew Steptoe, director of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, who led the study, told Sky News: "We have previously found that happiness is associated with a lower risk of death. These analyses show that the meaningfulness and sense of purpose that older people have in their lives are also related to survival. We cannot be sure that higher wellbeing necessarily causes lower risk of death, since the relationship may not be causal. He added: "But the findings raise the intriguing possibility that increasing wellbeing could help to improve physical health. There are several biological mechanisms that may link wellbeing to improved health, for example through hormonal changes or reduced blood pressure. Further research is now needed to see if such changes might contribute to the links between wellbeing and life expectancy in older people. Sky News visited the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh to road test the researchers' theory. Onboard, two visitors' assistants endorsed the study findings. George Smith, 63, said: "For me, I'm meeting a lot of new people and it keeps my mind interested in other people." Martha Dryburgh, 65, said: "I tend to maybe sit in the house and I might sit for a while then think 'I don't feel good about sitting'. So psychologically, for me, I can understand why they say that (a purpose) does make you feel better.