Happiness Linked to a Healthier Heart

Eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, and drinking plenty of water are often heralded as the hallmarks of health. We tend to see a healthy body as a sign of good physical health. Yet, a multitude of scientific studies show that our physical health is impacted by our minds just as much as by our bodies. 

Past research reveals the stress associated with negative emotions can actually damage the heart and arteries. According to the theory of accelerated aging, people dealing with long-term stress, depression, or PTSD develop at an early age health problems that we typically associate with older people, such as heart disease and stroke. So, if people who chronically experience negative emotions have a higher risk of heart problems, is the inverse of that statement also true? Do those who experience positive emotions have better heart health? Recent research says yes.

Harvard School of Public Health conducted a review (the first of its kind) of 200 separate research studies that examined the connection between psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. According to the findings, optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness are linked to reduced risk of heart disease. People with a better sense of well-being have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight, and they’re also more likely to exercise, eat healthy foods, get adequate sleep, and avoid smoking. Individuals who scored highest on optimism rankings had a 50% reduced risk of heart attack or stroke compared to their peers who scored the lowest, regardless of such factors as a person’s age, socio-economic status, smoking status or body weight.

Professor Laura Kubzansky, a senior author of the study, says that, “bolstering psychological strengths rather than simply mitigating psychological deficits may improve cardiovascular health.” We know that chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and PTSD can be detrimental, but the absence of these things might not be enough to ensure our physical health. What looks to be more effective and beneficial is boosting positive emotions.

People aspire to happiness and optimism because these positive emotions are beneficial in their own rights. Yet, because of the above findings, we now know that boosting happiness levels won’t just make us feel good: it can give us a healthier heart as well.

Olivia Roat is a reporter for GoStrengths.com, a site dedicated to increasing the happiness of both kids and adults.