Optimistic thinking is more than a clich to make us feel good. There is growing evidence from scientific studies that favorable cardiovascular outcomes are independently associated with optimism, gratefulness, sense of purpose, and other positive mental qualities. For years, the major prescription for healthy heart lives has been lifestyle changes—good diet, physical activity, no smoking, and control of BP and lipids.
But, large epidemiological observations and meta-analyses suggest that the way people think and respond to life can affect heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death. A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis combining data from 15 studies of more than 229,000 individuals found that increased optimism was linked to a 35% reduced risk of cardiovascular events like angina, MI, or stroke, and a 14% reduced risk of death from any cause.
The average follow-up period in the studies was just under 14 years. The results remained after statistical models were adjusted for depression, physical activity and other potential confounders. Similar trends were seen in other large cohorts: Women with the most positive outlooks were much less likely to die of heart attack or stroke, and adults with pre-existing cardio disease and high scores of optimism or purpose in life had fewer subsequent events and hospitalizations.
Positive psychology interventions are not only beneficial for Type A personalities. Positive psychology interventions have been studied in the general population. These interventions include daily gratitude journals, a few minutes of daily mindfulness or breathing exercises, or reframing negative thoughts. Short-term decreases in cardiovascular risk factors have been found.
Meta-analyses of randomized trials of these practices over a period of eight to 12 weeks have shown reductions in systolic blood pressure (about seven to eight points), decreases in inflammatory markers and daily increase in steps (about 1,800). Interestingly, these positive results (which were often also associated with better medication adherence and healthier diets) were most reliably associated with programs that used frequent practice plus some sort of reinforcement.
You may also enjoy:
- The Industrialization of the Void: How the New Space Race Is Rewriting the Rules of Orbit
- Italy Without the Premium: A Strategist’s Guide to Traveling Well on Little
- Michael Dell Net Worth
- How Can You Achieve Goals Successfully?
- The New Bloom: Why Floral Prints Are Redefining Contemporary Fashion
There seem to be several converging mechanisms supporting the link. The optimistic seem more likely to maintain health promoting behaviors such as aerobic activity, good diet, good sleep and they are less likely to be smokers. They will also have a healthier response to setbacks than turning to eating, drinking, or sloth for refuge.
On the biological level, positive affection states are linked to a milder and shorter stress response, whereas negative and hopeless states sustain an inflammatory low-grade fight or flight response that elevates heart rate, blood pressure, inflammatory factors and homeostasis, while positive emotion states dampen that cascade and seem to promote slow, healthy endothelial aging.
Positively, laughter in small investigations has been related to an acute improvement in blood-vessel dilation. A lot, positive attributes are not the inverse of depression or anxiety and controlling for the latter does not nullify the former’s independent effect on cardiac health.
This is meaningful as it presents a tangible opportunity: individuals can consciously pursue positive assets while simultaneously tackling negative ones. Easy, cheap measures like composing a gratitude letter, recording three positive events per day or taking five minute programs of mindful breathing have demonstrated mood- and- physiology-altering potential when practiced consistently.
Positive thinking is not a substitute for any treatment or medicine or any changes in your lifestyle your doctor can advise you and you. So it’s not medicine, but the positive thinking seems to be an important part of treatment helping it work better and even getting its benefits in some cases.
Research shows that simply hoping for a good outcome is helpful and paying attention to the good side of life and considering mind and body as a single unit to preserve heart health are practical and effective steps that we can take in protecting ourselves against heart illnesses throughout our lives.
