United States – People who are satisfied with their lot in life may be less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, research shows, as reported by HealthDay.
Connection Between Life Satisfaction and Cardiovascular Health
“Our findings support a holistic approach to health care, where enhancing a person’s mental and emotional well-being is considered an integral part of preventing heart disease and stroke,” noted Dr. Wen Sun of the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei.
“Health care professionals might consider including strategies to improve life satisfaction and happiness as part of routine care, such as recommending regular physical activities, social activities or stress management techniques as effective ways to enhance personal well-being,” Sun added.
Insights from Extensive Research
In the current study, data was collected from over 120,000 individuals who were participants in the U.K. Biobank, a biomedical database.
Clients completed self-report surveys that gauged their overall quality of life, which included their relationship with their family and friends, health, financial situation, and overall happiness. There was an attempt made by the researchers to consider people’s levels of happiness, health, and other related factors to four types of diseases that affect the heart.
Results show that people with the highest well-being scores had:
A reduced risk of arteries being blocked by about 44%.
A 45% reduction in the risk of stroke.
Reduced risk of developing heart failure by 51%.
They include a 56% reduced risk of having a heart attack in their lifetime, according to them.
The Broader Impact of Well-Being
More detailed evaluation revealed that the individuals with higher levels of well-being have healthier habits and lower levels of inflammation, according to the scientists.
“These results underscore the profound impact that emotional and psychological health can lead to on physical well-being, shedding light on intricate biological mechanisms that were not fully appreciated before,” Sun said.
Dr. Glenn Levine, who served as the author of a statement from the American Heart Association published in 2021 on the mind-heart-body relationship, noted that the results aren’t surprising, but they add detail to the mental health and heart risk equation, as reported by HealthDay.
“Much of the focus on psychological health has understandably been on negative factors such as depression and stress. This study emphasizes the importance of positive psychological health, including the more global factor of a person’s sense of well-being,” Levine, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine, said in a journal news release. Levine was not involved in the study.