Smile to Prevent Heart Disease

Optimistic and enthusiastic people are less likely to develop heart disease than those who are negative, scientists from Columbia University Medical Center announced today. This is the first observational study that shows a relationship between positive and negative emotions on coronary heart disease.

"We desperately need rigorous clinical trials in this area. If the trials support our findings, then these results will be incredibly important in describing specifically what clinicians and/or patients could do to improve health," Karina Davidson of Columbia University Medical Center wrote in the study in the European Heart Journal.

According to the World Health Organization, the leading killer of adults in Europe, North America and most industrialized countries is heart disease, accounting for 32% of all deaths around the world.

Davidson's 10 year study followed 1739 Canadian adults by assessing their emotions positive (happiness, enthusiasm, contentment) and negative (such as depression, anxiety and anger), and the link to heart disease risk.

Participants that were the least positive had a 22% higher risk of heart attack or angina than the positive people. Based on these findings, researchers believe that a healthy outlook on life can result in leading longer, healthier lives.

If you're feeling the blues consider outdoor exercise, upbeat music, a healthy diet, lots of sunshine and proper supplementation such as 5-HTP or St. John's Wort to help change your outlook on life. By maintaining a positive outlook on life, you can ward off this largely preventable disease.