Happiness Protects Your Heart - March 2010

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Happiness Protects Your Heart?

News from Columbia University researchers states that people with a positive outlook gain significant health benefits and are less likely to develop heart disease than unhappy people.  The prospective study on the relationship between happiness and heart disease led the researchers to conclude that people should do more of the things that make them happy to significantly reduce risk of heart attack and chest pain.

The researchers followed 1,739 men and women for 10 years in the 1995 Nova Scotia Health Survey.  At the start of the study, participants had their baseline risk of heart disease determined, including measuring cholesterol and blood pressure.  While this study did not evaluate the impact of an intervention to increase happiness, it did discover a strong correlation between people who expressed positive emotions and their lower rate of heart disease, despite initial risk factors.  The study suggests that happiness may have some heart-protective outcome.

Researchers documented symptoms of depression, hostility, anxiety as well as the expression of positive emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm and contentment.  They found that the happier someone was the less likely he or she would develop heart disease. For every point increase on a five-point "happiness scale", the risk of heart disease dropped 22 percent.

Conversely, the greatest risk of having heart disease or angina was among unhappy people. People who were generally happy, but had a few symptoms of depression, did not increase their risk for heart disease.

It is possible that happier people tend to sleep better and to practice more heart-healthy behaviors, and this may explain the results.  Additionally, happier people tend to have less stress and handle stress better than less happy people.

What does CPC recommend?

It is good for one's quality of life and mental health to engage in activities that give you pleasure on a daily basis.  We also know that negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and anger are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality.  Investing in your happiness by learning what you enjoy, finding hobbies and activities that give you renewed excitement and interest in life, may also improve your heart health.  Remember, it's still important to get regular exercise, quit smoking, eat a nutritious diet and maintain healthy blood pressure, cholesterol levels and body weight.  But now we can add to that list:  Have fun!

This research was published Feb. 18, 2010, in European Heart Journal