Optimists are less likely to have a heart attack or stroke

Researchers found that optimism was linked to a 35 percent lower relative risk of experiencing a serious cardiovascular-related event, such as heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest, and a 14 percent lower relative risk of early death.

People with a positive outlook on life are less likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular “event” than those who are pessimistic, according to a major new review and analysis of existing studies.

They are also less likely to die prematurely of any cause, the study found.

“We saw that there was about a 35 percent reduced risk of having a heart attack, stroke, [or] cardiac death in people who rated themselves positively as opposed to negatively..

“That’s a very substantial effect, a medical effect, similar to what we see with other risk factors, even things such as hypertension,

The study, which was published last week in JAMA Network Open, also made the “fascinating” finding, of a dose-response relationship between optimism and heart health. In other words, the more optimistic people are, the lower their chances of experiencing a serious cardiovascular complication.

As an editorial that accompanies the study points out, a large and growing body of research has identified psychological well-being in general — and optimism in particular — as being associated with better health outcomes, independent of other risk factors, such as physical activity, socioeconomic status or depression.

Indeed, just last August, researchers reported that people who are optimistic are significantly more likely to live past the age of 85 than those who are pessimistic, even after accounting for factors that affect lifespan, such as chronic illnesses, depression, educational attainment, alcohol use, diet and how often people see their doctors for preventive check-ups.

“When you start to feel more grateful, it starts to engender positive feelings. “And then you start to get on the road and say, ‘Hey, I have a little bit more perspective. I’ve crowded out the negative feelings.’”

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