Optimism is Heart Healthy

Amy Taylor January 13, 2015

People who see the glass half full tend to have significantly better cardiovascular health than those who see it half empty, according to new research.

Researchers from University of Illinois examined associations between optimism and heart health in more than 5,100 adults. Cardiovascular health was calculated from seven metrics: blood pressure, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose and serum cholesterol levels, dietary intake, physical activity, and tobacco use. These metrics are used by the American Heart Association (AHA) to define heart health and are the current emphasis of the AHA in its Life’s Simple 7 public awareness (LS7) campaign.

Study participants range from 45-84 years, and were asked to complete surveys that assess their mental health, levels of optimism, and physical health, based upon self-reported existing medical diagnoses of arthritis, liver, and kidney disease. Investigators followed participants for 11 years, collecting data every 18 months to two years.

“Individuals with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to their more pessimistic counterparts,” said lead author Dr Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois.

“This association remains significant, even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and poor mental health.”

Findings

The association between optimism and cardiovascular health was even stronger when socio-demographic characteristics such as age, race and ethnicity, income, and education status were factored in.

People who were the most optimistic were twice as likely to have ideal cardiovascular health, and 55 percent more likely to have a total health score in the intermediate range, the researchers found.

Researchers found that optimists had significantly better blood sugar and total cholesterol levels than their counterparts. They also were more physically active, had healthier body mass indexes, and were less likely to smoke.

Researchers believe the findings may be of clinical significance, given that a 2013 study indicated that a one-point increase in an individual’s total-health score on the LS7 was associated with an eight per cent reduction in their risk of stroke, Hernandez said.

The study was published in the journal Health Behaviour and Policy Review.

Source of this article: Optimism is Heart Healthy