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Over
the last few decades numerous studies have shown negative states, such
as depression, anger, anxiety, and hostility, to be detrimental to
cardiovascular health. Less is known about how positive psychological
characteristics are related to heart health.
In
the first and largest systematic review on this topic to date, Harvard
School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that positive
psychological well-being appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks,
strokes and other cardiovascular events.
The
American Heart Association reports more than 2,200 Americans die of
cardiovascular disease (CVD) each day, an average of one death every 39
seconds. Stroke accounts for about one of every 18 U.S. deaths.
The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive.
“We
found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness
are associated with reduced risk of CVD regardless of such factors as a
person’s age, socioeconomic status, smoking status, or body weight,”
said lead author Julia Boehm, research fellow in the Department of
Society, Human Development, and Health at HSPH.
“For
example, the most optimistic individuals had an approximately 50%
reduced risk of experiencing an initial cardiovascular event compared to
their less optimistic peers,” she said.
Satisfaction, Optimism, and Happiness
In
a review of more than 200 studies published in two major scientific
databases, Boehm and senior author Laura Kubzansky, associate professor
of society, human development, and health at HSPH, found there are
psychological assets, like optimism and positive emotion, that afford
protection against cardiovascular disease. It also appears that these
factors slow the progression of disease.
To
further understand how psychological well-being and CVD might be
related, Boehm and Kubzansky also investigated well-being’s association
with cardiovascular-related health behaviors and biological markers.
They found that individuals with a sense of well-being engaged in
healthier behaviors such as exercising, eating a balanced diet, and
getting sufficient sleep. In addition, greater well-being was related to
better biological function, such as lower blood pressure, healthier
lipid (blood fat) profiles, and normal body weight.
If
future research continues to indicate that higher levels of
satisfaction, optimism, and happiness come before cardiovascular health,
this has strong implications for the design of prevention and
intervention strategies.
“These
findings suggest that an emphasis on bolstering psychological strengths
rather than simply mitigating psychological deficits may improve
cardiovascular health,” Kuzbansky said.
Acknowledgement by the Zestzfulness Team
The above story is reprinted from the April 17, 2012 news release by the Harvard School of Public Health. The research finding was published online on the same day the journal of the American Psychological Association: Boehm JK, Kubzansky LD. The Heart’s Content: The Association between Positive Psychological Well-Being and Cardiovascular Health. Psychological Bulletin, online April 17, 2012.
Key Findings:
Evidence
indicates that Positive psychological well-being (PPWB) and CVD are
associated, independent of typical factors (e.g., socioeconomic status,
smoking, body mass index, cholesterol) and negative psychological
states, and based on studies of both patients and healthy populations.
PPWB appears to protect against both the incidence of CVD and, to a lesser extent, the progression of the disease.
Optimism seems to be the “most robust” measure of PPWB associated with reducing risks of CVD.
The
mechanisms that link PPWB and CVD seem to include direct, biological
pathways; indirect, behavioral pathways; restorative processes, such as
sleep and antioxidants; and deteriorative processes, such as
inflammation and smoking.
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