Fair is middling.

Life really does begin after 45, it seems.

And if you want the proof, here’s a recent report from the Journal of Advanced Nursing, in which researchers from the College of Nursing at Arizona State University measured the stress levels and personality traits of 299 women of various ages.

What they found is encouraging:

• Women between ages 18 and 29 were under high stress, and had poor personality traits. Result: poor health, both physically and emotionally.
• Between ages 30 and 45, stress levels generally went up, but women with strong personality traits saw their way through it all, and they were healthier than when they were younger.
• Once past 45, emotional stress levels declined, while the healthy personalities became better still.