Pessimism, Worry Can Lead to Heart Damage

Two recent studies suggest that thoughts may be as important as risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar when it comes to heart health. Research published online Nov. 17, 2016 in BMC Public Health tested levels of pessimism in nearly 3,000 men and women ranging in age from 52 to 76, and followed participants for 11 years. At the end of the study, the researchers found that the most pessimistic participants had a two times greater death rate from heart disease than participants who were the least pessimistic. “Pessimism seems to be quite a significant risk factor for death from coronary heart disease, both in men and women, even after adjustments for the well-known classical risk factors of cardiovascular disease,” the study’s lead author concluded. A second study, involving more than 7,000 participants, suggests that fretting about having a heart attack can also lead to increased risk for a major cardiac event.

Researchers analyzed 10 years worth of data on the middle-aged participants that included their cardiovascular history, demographic information, and levels of anxiety about health. According to an online report published Nov. 3, 2016 in BMJ Open, the study revealed that the participants with the highest levels of health anxiety had twice the risk of developing chest pain or having a heart attack as unworried participants. The increased risk may be “caused by physio-logical effects of the anxiety itself,” the lead author said, noting that “people with high levels of health anxiety have about a 70 percent increased risk of heart disease, after taking into ac-count other known risk factors.” Experts suggest that individuals who are struggling with pessimism or health anxieties might benefit from consulting a mental health professional.

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