Women who are indulgent towards themselves would have less risk of having a stroke or a myocardial infarction.
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women
- Self-care and self-indulgence may limit cardiovascular risk in women.
In the list of good resolutions taken for this new year, we must add one: be indulgent towards yourself. Indeed, this simple habit could have great benefits for women’s cardiovascular health. According to a study published in the specialized journal Health Psychologythose who are too hard on themselves are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
Kindness and self-compassion would reduce cardiovascular risk
To reach this conclusion, the researchers conducted their work with more than 200 women aged 45 to 67. All had to complete a questionnaire to assess their self-esteem. They had to define the disappointment they felt in certain situations, the feeling of being out of step with those around them or even how they managed their emotions or negative events. To assess the impact of these feelings on their cardiovascular health, scientists studied the health of their arteries using ultrasound.
According to their results, the women who were more compassionate and kind to themselves had better cardiovascular health and healthier arteries. Thus, they estimated that they had less risk of having a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or a myocardial infarction. As a reminder, a stroke is a sudden loss of one or more functions of the brain. As for myocardial infarction, it affects a part of the heart muscle that stops working due to a prolonged absence of blood circulation. Very often, the heart attack is caused by the obstruction of one of the arteries of the heart.
Make time for yourself
To limit these risks, the authors of the study recommended that women be more indulgent towards themselves by trying to value their action or to see the good side of it on a daily basis. They also advised them never to put themselves down. Another tip for maintaining good mental and cardiovascular health: pay more attention to your well-being. To do this, you need to take time for yourself. Every day if possible, allow yourself a little time only for your desire. It can be reading, a short walk, gardening or painting. Anything that is good for morale!
“We are going through an extremely stressful time: our work shows that it is important to show gentleness, kindness and compassion to protect our health, both physical and mental”, concluded the researchers.
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