Healthy Hearts See Glass Half Full

By Guest Blogger: John Kennedy M.D

Studies show that individuals with a positive outlook on life tend to have effective coping skills, which help them make the best out of unfortunate and unexpected situations.  This ability to see the ‘silver lining’ may be the key to protecting your heart in stressful situations.

Glass Half Empty

A study of patients with heart disease followed for six to 10 years found that those with pessimistic beliefs about their recovery were twice as likely to die during that time frame as those who felt more optimistic.

Duke University Medical Center conducted psychological assessments on 2,825 patients hospitalized for heart disease.

During the study, patients were asked to describe their expectations about their ability to recover from their illness and regain a normal life. After follow up five to 10 years later, 978 of the patients died, with 66% dying of heart disease.

Patient expectations about their disease course were highly related to survival, with patients who had the most pessimistic views dying at twice the rate of those who were most optimistic. Results showed the death rate among the most pessimistic patients was still 30% higher than the most optimistic.

One possible explanation for these findings is that “positive thoughts” may lessen the damaging effects of stress on the body.

A separate study at Duke found that people with a more positive outlook were found to have significantly lower increases in blood pressure during stress than people who were negative. They also found that the more optimistic people had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol within 30 minutes of waking — a time in which levels tend to be high.

Positive Energy is Contagious

In his book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman writes of how we attract ‘like’ energy and our attitudes whether good or bad directly affect those around us.  Cynics and pessimists for example tend to associate with those with similar demeanors.  Conversely, those with positive attitudes tend to gravitate to more positive people.  And this energy is contagious! A great example of contagious energy occurs when I work in the operating room.  On many occasion I’ve noticed how the energy in the operating room is dictated and set by the tone and demeanor of the primary surgeon.  When calm, cool and collected the entire team works together synergistically, like a smoothly oiled machine.  I’ve seen first hand how this almost palpable contagious energy helps achieve optimal outcomes.

Glass Half Full

A new study suggests that optimists’ glass-half-full approach to life may actually offer some health benefits.  Women 50 or older who are optimistic are less likely to get heart disease and die of any cause in a given time period compared to women their age who are more pessimistic, according to a study published this week in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The study included 97,253 postmenopausal women ages 50-79 who were enrolled in the government-funded Women’s Health Initiative; they were all healthy and free of cancer and cardiovascular disease at the start of the study.

It seems although stress affects pessimists and optimists equally, when faced with problems, optimists tend to assess the situation, cope with the problem head-on, and mobilize support to solve issues, more so than pessimists.

It turns out optimists are better equipped with coping strategies that help them manage stress. They’re more likely to exercise, meditate and participate in heart healthy activities such as yoga and tai chi. In my book The 15 Minute Heart Cure I describe one such tool designed to help manage life’s difficult and unexpected challenges. I show how the B-R-E-A-T-H-E technique can help you relax, concentrate, and focus in difficult situations and ultimately help protect your heart.  It’s a simple exercise that combines two proven forms of relaxation therapy—breath work and guided imagery. B-R-E-A-T-H-E is an acronym where each letter represents a separate step of the relaxation technique. When practiced regularly this tool helps us find calm and successfully navigate life’s most stressful storms.

Old Dogs and New Tricks

Even for those with deeply ingrained negative attitudes, don’t lose faith because studies show you can definitely teach old dogs new tricks.  Research in neuroscience shows how our brains are more malleable and “plastic” than once thought.  In fact, we now know that even those with negative emotions can change their thoughts, attitudes and behavior by learning ways to relax and manage stress.

Summing it Up

So, it’s pretty simple.  Positive energy helps protect our heart and negative emotions have been found to be harmful. Moreover, our energy, good or bad is contagious and directly affects the attitudes and emotions of those around us.

One thing is for sure. Life is unpredictable and full of unexpected challenges. And learning effective coping skills like the BREATHE technique can help you manage stress and keep your tank full of heart healthy, positive energy!

LISTEN TO AN AMAZING INTERVIEW WITH DR. KENNEDY BY CLICKING HERE!

Author:

John M. Kennedy, MD, medical director of preventive cardiology and wellness at Marina Del Rey Hospital, California. He is a clinical associate professor at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and is on the board of directors for the American Heart Association. He is author, with Jason Jennings, of The 15 Minute Heart Cure: The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal Your Heart in Just Minutes a Day (Wiley). www.the15MinuteHeartCure.com