People who are happy with their lives or have a sense of well-being are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
- High well-being is linked to a 10–21% reduction in the risk of various cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, heart failure and heart attack.
- People who were happier and more satisfied with their lives had healthier behaviors and lower levels of inflammatory markers.
- “Healthcare professionals may want to consider including strategies to improve satisfaction and happiness as part of routine care,” the authors say.
It is well known that being happy improves mental health. However, the influence of well-being on cardiovascular health is less clear. For example, researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei conducted a study, the results of which were published in the journal Journal of the American Heart Association.
Stroke, heart attack: feeling good reduces risk by 10 to 21%
For the research, the authors recruited 121,317 healthy adults. They were asked to complete a well-being questionnaire when they enrolled. Specifically, they rated their overall happiness and satisfaction with family, friendships, health, finances and work. In parallel, the team examined their blood tests and medical records to determine whether there was a potential link between well-being and the development of four major diseases. The study also looked at the impact of well-being on lifestyle factors and inflammatory markers.
Over a follow-up period of almost 12 years, 3,323 cases of heart failure, 5,990 cases of stroke, 6,462 cases of heart attacks and 9,177 cases of coronary heart disease were recorded. According to the results, compared to adults with a low sense of well-being, the overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease was 10 to 21% lower for people with the highest well-being scores. People who were satisfied with their lives had a 44% lower risk of coronary heart disease, a 45% lower risk of stroke, a 51% lower risk of heart failure and a 56% lower risk of heart attack.
Adopt a healthy lifestyle to be happier
Scientists observed that volunteers with higher levels of well-being tended to adopt healthier lifestyles and had lower inflammatory markers. “These findings highlight the profound impact that emotional and psychological health can have on physical well-being. Health professionals may wish to consider including strategies to improve satisfaction and happiness as part of routine care, such as recommending regular physical activity, social activities or stress management techniques, which are effective ways to improve personal well-being,” said Wen Sunresearch author.
