(EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Roe is on a much-deserved vacation this week so we are republishing one of his columns.)

Great news for politicians and cable TV news hosts. A new study has found that thinking too much might cause you to die younger.

Harvard Medical School researchers have determined that those who overthink buy the Harp Farm at an earlier age. Here’s why:

It seems a protein called REST (RE-1Silencing Transcription) existed in people who died at age 100 yet was lacking in the brains of people who died in their 60s and 70s.

As far as I know (dangerously pondering), the idea of “thinking too much,” is esoteric at best. Everyone thinks. There is not, as far as I know, a Thinkometer that differentiates between deciding what to fix for supper and the fate of Schrodinger’s Cat. Which really isn’t a fair comparison, since choosing what to eat ranks up there with neurosurgery and juggling.

Let’s take a step back. Why restrict the list to politicians and cable TV hosts? Add meteorologists to the list – a veritable fountain of youth!

Anyway, the gist of the study, published in the journal “Nature,” posits the protein helps quiet down brain activity and reacts to genes that are known to spark the brain when thinking.

At present, it’s not possible to measure REST in a living brain, which again means there are so many people who could help in the study’s research. Slow traffic drivers clogging the left lane (better known as the ’fast lane’ for those who actually read their driver’s manual when they were 16) as an example. They should take spots three, four and five on the list.

While we’re at it, people who write “your” instead of “you’re” should be added. Along with folks who glut the “10 items or less” lane at the grocery checkout with enough items to feed an army.

How do you not think too much? Binging “The View” comes to mind. Be an Eagles fan. Enjoy eating green beans (the devil’s vegetable). Personally, I have a specific clothing choice for work (polo and black slacks), so not having to select a wardrobe should add a couple of years to my life.

Did I forget New York Yankee fans? Plus those who do not agree that Grover is the best Muppet. And choosing stripes and checks as a fashion choice. Along with those who think the final episode of “Lost” was anything but infuriating. Or believe the comic “Garfield” is still funny. And like Edison over Tesla.

Dog lovers over cats. Cat lovers over dogs. Never mind – they are both adorable. Prefer outdoors instead of indoors (nature is trying to kill us). I cannot stress enough the green bean thing.

Not to mention those who don’t think the movie “Gremlins 2” is a cinematic masterpiece on a par with “Citizen Kane.”

There are people who think their opinions are law and therefore inviolate. Like me. Obviously. Those of you kind enough to read my ramblings week after week have proof. I’ll meet you for coffee when I become a centenarian.

The report’s lead author, Bruce Yanker, says the findings “could have such far-ranging consequences for physiology and life span.” I wonder how cranky Baby Boomers will fare on the longevity scale.