Being happy and naturally optimistic cuts the risk of developing heart problems, say researchers.
They found that those who are enthusiastic, contented and believe the glass is half full rather than half empty have a better chance of keeping their heart healthy.
It is the first study to find such a strong link between positive emotions and a lower risk of heart disease.
Findings published in the European Heart Journal reveal the potentially damaging effects of pessimistic thoughts and long-term negativity.
Lead researcher Dr Karina Davidson said it might be possible to help prevent heart disease by boosting positive emotions and called for more clinical trials in the area.
She said: 'If the trials support our findings, then these results will be incredibly important in describing specifically what clinicians and patients could do to improve health.'
The U.S. study focused on 1,739 healthy adults over ten years. Nurses assessed participants' risk of heart disease and measured symptoms of depression, hostility, anxiety and the degree of expression of positive feelings, or 'positive affect'.
Positive affect is the experience of pleasurable emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm and contentment.
These feelings can be short-lived, but are usually stable character traits, particularly in adulthood, the study said. Although positive affect is largely independent of negative affect, someone who is generally happy and contented can also occasionally be anxious, angry or depressed.
After taking account of age, sex, heart-associated risk factors and negative emotions, researchers found increasing levels of positive affect predicted declining risk of heart disease.
Dr Davidson, director of the Centre for Behavioural Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Centre, New York, added: 'Participants with no positive affect were at a 22 per cent higher risk of heart attack or angina than those with a little positive affect, who were themselves at 22 per cent higher risk than those with moderate positive affect.'
She also described some possible explanations.
First, those with positive affect may have longer periods of rest or relaxation physiologically.
Second, those with positive affect may recover more quickly from stressors, and may not spend as much time " reliving" them, which in turn seems to cause physiological damage.'
Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'Previous research has shown somewhat similar effects, but not so clearly as this.'
But she added due to the study's design it 'does not tell us for sure whether changing our mood can definitely reduce our risk of heart disease. This research suggested those who naturally had a "glass half full" mood seemed to be most protected from disease.
'But we're not all like that and we know improving your mood isn't always easy.' |
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