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

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By Guest Blogger: Dr. John M. Kennedy, MD, FACC - Marina Del Rey Hospital

Most people know that smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are among the main risk factors for heart disease. Few of us realize that daily stress is another key risk factor. It can damage the heart and arteries even in people who are otherwise healthy.

Recent finding: A University of Southern California study that looked at 735 patients for more than 12 years found that chronic stress and anxiety were better predictors of future cardiovascular events (such as a heart attack) than other risk factors. The researchers estimate that those who reduce or stabilize their stress levels are 50% to 60% less likely to have a heart attack than those who experience increasing stress.

TOXIC OVER TIME
Researchers have known for a long time that sudden traumatic events can trigger heart problems. Three years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for example, study participants — most of whom watched the attacks on live television — were questioned about their stress levels. Those who still were severely stressed were 53% more likely to have heart problems, and twice as likely to develop high blood pressure, as those with lower stress levels.
It appears that even “normal” stress — financial pressures or an unhappy job situation — is dangerous when it continues for a long time. It’s estimated that more than 75% of visits to primary care physicians are linked to stress-related disorders.

What happens: Chronic stress increases vascular resistance, the main cause of high blood pressure. It increases the activity of platelets, cell-like structures in blood that clump together and trigger most heart attacks. It increases levels of cortisol, adrenaline and other stress hormones that promote arterial inflammation.
Doctors have been slow to acknowledge stress as a major cardiovascular risk factor. This is partly because stress (like pain) is subjective and highly individual — it’s difficult to quantify, because everyone has different stress triggers and experiences stress differently. One lawyer might thrive on hectic 16-hour days, while another might react with high anxiety.
Stress can’t be directly measured, but tests show its toxic effects. When laboratory subjects who are asked to count backward from 100 by eights get increasingly frustrated, there is a corresponding increase in their heart rate, adrenaline and substances linked to inflammation, such as C-reactive protein and interleukins.

STRESS REDUCTION WORKS
We can only partly control our emotional environments — stress-causing events can’t always be avoided. But we can greatly change the ways in which we react to stress. People who do this can significantly lower their cardiovascular risks. In one study, patients with heart disease were divided into three groups and followed for up to five years. Those in one group practiced stress reduction. Those in the other groups were treated either with an exercise program or with standard medical care. (The standard-care group maintained their regular medical regimen and did not participate in an exercise or stress-management program.)
Only 10% of those in the stress-control group had a subsequent heart attack or required bypass surgery or angioplasty, compared with 21% in the exercise group and 30% in the medical-care group.

BREATHE
The traditional techniques for reducing stress, such as yoga, are helpful but typically too complicated and time-consuming for most people. My colleagues and I have developed a simpler approach that anyone can do in about 15 minutes a day. The simple template was created drawing from data in sport psychology and is a form of transcendental meditation. It goes by the acronym B-R-E-A-T-H-E, which stands for Begin, Relax, Envision, Apply, Treat, Heal and End.

Begin. Pick a time of day when you won’t be interrupted for 15 minutes. Find a comfortable location. Many patients use their bedrooms, but any quiet, private place will work.

Relax. This phase of the exercise is meant to elicit the relaxation response, a physiological process that reduces stress hormones, slows electrical activity in the brain and reduces inflammation.

Sit or lie quietly. Focus so completely on your breathing that there isn’t room in your mind for anything else. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Then exhale just as slowly through your mouth. Each inhalation and exhalation should take about seven seconds. Repeat the breathing cycle seven times. You’ll know you’re ready to go to the next step when your body is so relaxed that it feels as if all of your weight is supported by the chair or bed rather than by your muscles.

Envision. Spend a few minutes imagining that every part of your heart — the arteries, muscles, valves and the electrical system — is strong and healthy. Form a mental picture (it doesn’t have to be anatomically accurate) of the heart pumping blood and sending nourishment throughout your body. Hold the mental image for several minutes.
Studies using PET scans show that people who imagine that they are performing an action activate the same part of the brain that is involved when they actually do that action. Imagining a healthy heart literally can make the heart healthier.

Apply. It’s up to you when (and how often) you perform this relaxation exercise. Most people can find 15 minutes a day to take a mental break from stress to keep their hearts healthy. Others also use this technique when they notice that their stress levels are rising.
During a hectic day at work, for example, you might take a break for 15 minutes to calm down with conscious breathing and visualization.

Treat and heal. I encourage patients to embrace the pleasurable aspects of this exercise. Don’t consider it a chore. It’s more like a spa treatment than a physical workout.
The healing aspect can be strongly motivating, particularly if you already have a history of heart disease. Every time you do this exercise, you are strengthening the neural networks that connect the heart and brain. This can lead to a decrease in heart arrhythmias (irregularities), an increase in immune-cell activity and even better sleep.

End. Finish each relaxation session by making a mental checklist of what you have achieved. You have imagined that your heart and arteries are healthy. You have reduced stress hormones, and you are feeling more relaxed and energized than you did before.

The results are long-lasting. People who practice this for a few weeks will find themselves dealing with unexpected stressful events productively and in a calm, focused manner.

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

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By Guest Blogger – Dr. John M. Kennedy, MD, FACC
Studies suggest that women who have experienced panic attacks may be at increased cardiac risk. In fact, a recent study found that postmenopausal women who experienced at least one panic attack were four times as likely to have heart disease as women who have never had a panic attack.
Symptoms of Panic:
If you suffer from panic attacks, common symptoms such as dramatic, overwhelming fear, anxiety and generalized irritability often occur and aren’t attributable to a real threat.

When panic strikes, our body quickly shifts into overdrive causing a number of heightened and often uncomfortable feelings which include:

• Overwhelming sense of impending doom
• Difficulty breathing
• Palpitations and irregular heart beats
• Sweating
• Shakiness
• Dizziness

How do Panic Attacks Affect Our Heart?
Panic, stress and anxiety trigger the “fight-or-flight” response which leads to a flooding of hormones into our blood stream known as “catecholamines”. These powerful chemicals can be toxic to our heart causing decreased blood flow and making heart muscle irritable and prone to abnormal rhythms leading to palpitations. In some studies, researchers speculate that panic attacks trigger dangerous heart rhythms associated with sudden cardiac events, including heart attacks.

Another possible mechanism for the relationship between panic attacks and heart disease is the possibility that symptoms of “panic” are in fact symptoms of real McCoy heart disease masquerading as panic. The point being, whether a true panic attack or an acute cardiac condition, symptoms should not be taken lightly.

Panic—A Dangerous Imposter
There tends to be overlap of symptoms common to both heart disease and panic attacks which make it challenging even for specialists to distinguish between the two. Shortness of breath, palpitations and dizziness, for example, can be seen in both disorders. And women who are in the throes of a heart attack or other acute heart problems are much more likely to be misdiagnosed than are men with similar symptoms.
Triggering Panic Attacks
Panic either strikes without warning or is triggered by a familiar but unpleasant situation. Elevators, public speaking or interactions with particularly contentious individuals can spark an attack.
Diagnosing Panic Attacks
The most important components in making the correct diagnosis of a panic attack are a thorough medical history and physical exam. Your doctor will glean most of the vital information from this interview so be sure you’re honest and forthright about prior medical history and contributing factors such as drug, alcohol, diet supplement or caffeine use. If your symptoms mimic heart conditions, tests such as an ECG or an echocardiogram may be part of the workup. Other conditions such as thyroid disease and epilepsy also mimic panic attacks, so tests depend on your specific symptoms and doctor’s analysis.
Treating Panic Attacks
Remember that panic attacks are real and can wreak havoc on your delicate cardiovascular tissue especially if they go untreated. Data suggests that women with panic attacks are more likely to have cardiac events which mean the days of “it’s all in your head” are long over.  Whatever you do, don’t panic because there are a number of antianxiety, antidepressant, and behavioral therapies that are extremely effective in treating this disorder. In addition to a good consultation from a medical professional, simple things like diet and healthy food choices, exercise and disciplines such as yoga, tai chi and chi gong are extremely helpful for warding off panic. So, if you or someone you know has panic attacks be heart-smart–make sure you seek medical advice because there are a number of very effective therapies that will help you stop panic in its tracks.
Commonly Asked Questions About Heart Disease In Women:
“Dr. Kennedy, I heard that women, once diagnosed with a heart attack, have a worse prognosis than men even after treatment. Is this true, and if so, what accounts for this difference?”
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women accounting for 880,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. However, women before age 60 are less likely than men to develop heart problems, but once the disease occurs, women often fare worse than men.

Just some of the observations that may account for these gender differences include:

• Women’s symptoms tend to be more subtle and less predictable, leading to potentially detrimental outcomes.
• Women often underestimate the severity of cardiovascular disease, and fail to take preventive measures, acknowledge warning signs, or seek treatment for symptoms.
• Women with blocked coronary arteries tend to be older than men with similar lockages and have worse symptoms and more advanced disease.
• Women are also more likely to have other problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which may make surgery riskier.
• Women are more likely than men to develop heart failure, a weakening of the heart muscle which causes varying degrees of shortness of breath and can be fatal.
• Women have more complications after bypass surgery, angioplasties or stents–all treatments for blocked coronary arteries. These differences have been attributed to smaller blood vessels.
• Women are more likely than men to have problems with inflammation and anemia,

“Dr Kennedy, I am perimenopausal and recently read that hormonal changes can affect levels of HDL-“good cholesterol.” Can you comment on this?”
Prior to menopause, estrogen may have a protective effect in maintaining levels of “good” highdensity lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which protects the body’s overall cardiovascular health. Estrogen also relaxes the smooth muscle of arteries which helps to maintain normal blood pressure. The force created by high blood pressure can damage the delicate inner lining of the coronary arteries leading to heart attacks. Unfortunately, the beneficial cardiovascular effects of estrogen are lost after menopause and marks the time when heart disease in women increases. So, after menopause women need to be keenly aware of their risks for heart disease and take measures to protect their hearts like eating healthy, exercising and controlling modifiable risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking.

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Listen To An Amazing Interview With Dr. Kennedy – Click Here!

Dr. John Kennedy is an invasive cardiologist and board member of the American Heart Association. He has a particular interest in the negative impact of stress on our cardiovascular system and speaks regularly to businesses about managing stress in the workplace. Dr. Kennedy is co-author of the book The 15 Minute Heart Cure: The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal Your Heart in Just Minutes a Day

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In our continuing quest to unlock the mysteries of workplace stress, our resident cardiologist here at StopStressingNow.Com looks at how stress at the workplace can negatively affect your heart health.

Click Here To Listen To An Amazing Interview With Dr. Kennedy.

Here’s Dr. John M. Kennedy, the medical director of preventative cardiology and wellness at Marina del Rey Hospital.

Give Your Company a Much Needed Breather: 10 Ways to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

There’s a large body of literature showing how workplace stress negatively impacts employee health, and unhealthy employees can greatly affect the company bottom line. Making matters even more difficult, the current economic crisis has forced companies to lean down, which has placed a larger burden on the existing workforce.

When employees are stressed, they are less engaged, less productive, and more likely to miss days at work due to stress-related illness.  Research suggests that stress weakens our immune system and increases inflammation which makes us more prone to illnesses ranging from the common cold to heart disease. In fact, some studies show that two specific types of workplace stress can take a toll on our cardiovascular system.

The first type of stress involves the physical strain of having to do more with less.  Taking on additional responsibilities and having to accomplish more work in less time is a common example.

The second type of stress occurs when employees feel socially isolated and unacknowledged for their extra work.  Despite increased efforts, employees often feel their hard work goes unrecognized, and is unappreciated which leads to feelings of apathy, and as though they have little or no opportunity for career advancement.

Both types of stress cause a release of stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, which if neglected can have deleterious affects on our health.  Recognizing the health dangers associated with workplace stress, here are 10 steps employers can take to help defuse stress in the workplace and create a healthier and happier work environment:

1. Acknowledge that everyone feels stressed at times and that no one, whether an employer or employee is spared.  Realizing that stress affects everyone, provide your company with simple, helpful, cost-effective, self-directed stress management tools like the B-R-E-A-T-H-E technique which is described in The 15 Minute Heart Cure: The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal Your Heart in Just Minutes a Day

2. Frequently, acknowledge employees for their extra work, and make them aware of how valuable they are and how much they are appreciated.

3. Provide employees with support to excel and succeed in the workplace and encourage them to inquire about career advancement and inspire and motivate them to achieve these goals.

4. Encourage employees to take short time-outs. Rather than ruminate and stew over your workload, sometimes just taking short walk down the hallway can help us rejuvenate and refocus.

5. Meet regularly (weekly) as a group to discuss stressors in the workplace and come up with solutions to help mitigate the stress rather than sweep problems under the rug.  Even if the stressful problem is unavoidable, regular meetings will foster feelings of trust and improve team building.

6. Encourage, acknowledge, and reward employees for exercising (pedometers at work, riding a bike to work, parking further from the building, taking the stairs instead of elevator)–when we get stressed we are less physically active.

7. Reward and encourage employees to eat healthy (provide healthy food choices in kitchen or cafeteria at work and acknowledge employees for making healthy dietary choices)–when we get stressed we tend to eat comfort foods.

8. Organize after work activities such as a walk or hike or a meeting at a healthy restaurant. Studies suggest that people tend to drink and smoke to mask the feelings of stress.

9. Encourage employees to join local gyms at subsidized cost (if possible) and enroll as a company group for an evening spinning, kick boxing or aerobics class (improves health and promotes camaraderie).

10. Provide, encourage and acknowledge employees for taking pilates, tai chi, chi gong and yoga classes.

John M. Kennedy, M.D., is the medical director of preventative cardiology and wellness at Marina del Rey Hospital, and author of the new book, The 15 Minute Heart Cure: The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal Your Heart in Just Minutes a Day.

Click Here To Listen To An Amazing Interview With Dr. Kennedy.

Please visit www.johnmkennedymd.com for more information.

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John M. Kennedy, M.D., is the medical director of preventative cardiology and wellness at Marina del Rey Hospital, and author of the new book, The 15 Minute Heart Cure: The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal Your Heart in Just Minutes a Day.

He has also incorporated the BREATHE™ technique into a company wellness program, BREATHE™ For Company Wellness, which will enable companies to provide a healthy and safe alternative for employee stress release; the program features a private social media component.

Dr. Kennedy is our newest guest blogger here at StopStressingNow.Com and we couldn’t be any more excited to have him on board. I’ve read his amazing book and asked him right away to contribute his life saving knowledge with all of you for 2010.

For more information on Dr. John M. Kennedy, please visit his website:  www.johnmkennedymd.com

StopStressingNow.com - Connecting To Happiness!

John M. Kennedy, M.D., is the medical director of preventative cardiology and wellness at Marina del Rey Hospital, and author of the new book, The 15 Minute Heart Cure: The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal Your Heart in Just Minutes a Day.  He has also incorporated the BREATHE™ technique into a company wellness program, BREATHE™ For Company Wellness, which will enable companies to provide a healthy and safe alternative for employee stress release; the program features a private social media component. Dr. Kennedy is our newest guest blogger here at StopStressingNow.Com and we couldn’t be any more excited to have him on board. I’ve read his amazing book and asked him right away to contribute his life saving knowledge with all of you for 2010.

It’s with great pleasure I introduce to you…

Dr. John M. Kennedy

Over the past fifteen years, I’ve personally witnessed how emotional stress directly impacts the hearts of my patients, both directly and indirectly.  The direct negative affects are caused by the stress hormones that over time cause damage to the delicate cardiac tissue, and the indirect affects lead to developing maladaptive behaviors such as physical inactivity, smoking, and overeating—all leading to cardiovascular disease.

The reality is, we all experience rising pressures to perform under increasingly more demanding schedules.  So I set out to find a solution, and developed the BREATHE™ technique, a seven-step exercise that helps reduce stress and heal your heart.  BREATHE™ combines two proven forms of relaxation—guided imagery and breath work—and puts a modern spin on ancient wisdom.  Both of these techniques elicit the “relaxation response” which is opposite the “stress response”.  When practiced regularly, like toning your muscles in the gym, you’ll develop a special neural network that will help you focus and find a sense of calm when faced with one of life’s unexpected stressful challenges.

• B is for Begin: In order to develop a rhythm and routine, find the right time of day and a comfortable, quiet place to practice the meditation.

• R is for Relax: Though it may seem counterintuitive, relaxation requires focused and conscious breathing.  Try to clear all thoughts and concentrate only on your breath.

• E is for Envision: Special imagery exercises and specific healing metaphors will help lower heart rate, blood pressure, and strengthen the immune system.

• A is for Apply: By practicing each heart-healing metaphor regularly, they will be filed away in your memory bank, and become retrievable and accessible for high-stress situations.

• T is for Treat:  The BREATHE™ technique is a pleasurable and therapeutic exercise.  Practicing regularly, like exercising, will foster feelings of elation and happiness.

• H is for Heal: The goal of this technique is to unite neural networks that connect your heart and brain, decreasing blood pressure, enhancing immune response, and lowering pulse rate.

• E is for End: Every effective exercise has a formal beginning and ending.

This simple, cost-effective technique has withstood the test of time and modern research shows many positive health benefits of its use. Guided imagery and breath work have been used successfully for reducing anxiety, improving coping skills, lowering blood pressure, and for decreasing post-operative pain. They have also been shown to have potent immune bolstering effects. Studies have shown that patients using similar techniques have increased levels of natural killer cells which are potent immune cells that help ward off infection. Relaxation therapies such as BREATHE™ have also been shown to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol which in large amounts (like those seen with chronic stress) can weaken our body’s ability to fight infection and slow tissue repair.

Whether you have had a heart attack, have been diagnosed with a heart condition, or simply want to keep your heart in great shape, BREATHE™ will help you make every day less stressful and more healthy.

Dr. Kennedy will be appearing on my radio show on Feb 28th. Don’t miss it!

For more information on Dr. John M. Kennedy, please visit his website:  www.johnmkennedymd.com

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