Although many studies have shown the negative effects that stress, anxiety or depression have on cardiovascular health, little is known about what happens in the opposite case. Now, a study carried out by the Harvard Public School of Health (USA) reveals that optimistic people have healthier hearts.
In a review of more than 200 previous articles, the researchers found that certain psychological aspects such as optimism and positive emotions minimize the risks of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular accidents. "We have seen that factors such as happiness, optimism or satisfaction with one's life reduce the risk of heart disease , regardless of other characteristics such as age, socioeconomic status or weight," explains Julia Bohem, one of the authors. of the work published in the journal Psychological Bulletin .
To better understand the relationships between psychological and cardiovascular health, the researchers analyzed the association with other indirect factors. The results showed that, in general, people who feel satisfied with their lives also tend to adopt healthier habits : they exercise daily, eat a healthy diet and sleep an acceptable number of hours. In addition, people with more positive attitudes tend to have lower blood pressure, amounts of lipids in the blood within standard levels and a normal body weight, all factors that minimize the risk of cardiovascular accidents.
