Emotions Impact Your Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

Heart attack (acute myocardial infarction) and stroke (cerebral vascular accident) are two killers that continue to cut down large numbers of men and women in the developed world. Many risk factors have been identified for these two conditions:

• obesity

• diabetes

• lack of exercise

• high cholesterol

• heredity

• stress

Mental stress can come from a variety of sources, including both sad and happy events. But is it the stress itself that is potentially damaging, or the person's reactions to stress? Research suggests the latter, because emotions can have either negative or positive effects on the body.

Many people are familiar with the writings of Norman Cousins, who used laughter to treat his cancer. In fact, laughter therapy (humor therapy) is one of the holistic methods used at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Clinical studies have shown that laughter results in an increase of positive emotions, enhancing the immune system, reducing pain, relaxing muscles, and reducing stress hormones.

Now research is directly tying positive emotions to reduced risk of heart attack or stroke. According to Medscape, studies reported at the 2011 European Society of Cardiology Congress are emphasizing the effects of negative emotions (anger, job stress) and positive emotions (laughter, positive thinking) on the incidence of cardiovascular problems.

These cardiovascular effects may be mediated through changes in the endothelium, a layer of cells that lines the inner surfaces of the blood vessels and heart valves. Atherosclerosis results from a chain reaction in the endothelium:

• inflammation

• plaque formation in the inflamed area

• plaque grows larger and begins to calcify

• it may completely block the artery by itself

• or, a blood clot may become lodged in the narrowed artery

• in the heart this is called a heart attack

• in the brain, a stroke

A recent study conducted at the University of Maryland Medical School in Baltimore revealed that watching funny movies resulted in relaxation of the endothelium and dilation of the blood vessels, but watching dramatic, intense movies constricted blood vessels up to 50%. Even 10 to 15 minutes of laughter improved endothelial function for at least an hour.

Researchers in Finland discovered that consistent overtime work was associated with higher risk of heart disease as compared to individuals who did not work overtime. Another study, in Italy, examined men with or without angry personalities (determined by psychological testing) over 10 years to see how many experienced heart attacks; they found that 57% of the men with angry personalities had no heart attacks by the end of the study, versus 79% of the men without angry personalities.

The recession in the United States which began in the latter part of 2008 resulted in increased stress for much of the population. A study conducted at Duke University showed that rates of heart attack increased significantly during the period when the stock market was at its worst. The researchers did not identify specific causes such as endothelial dysfunction, but speculated that any of the biological changes known to occur during continual stress could have mediated the increased heart attack risk.

Finally, an experiment conducted in Australia evaluated the effects of a cognitive therapy program on patients who had surgery after a heart attack. Four months of therapy resulted in reduced depression, increased exercise, and improved cholesterol levels. This was a lasting change, since at 1 year the patients were still better than before at managing anger and anxiety.

What does this research mean for you? Of course, you should always follow your doctor's order regarding your diet, exercise, and medication. Then, as an added protection against heart attack and stroke, laugh! Learn coping skills for handling stress and anger, avoid working overtime if you can, and if needed, reach out for help by finding a cognitive therapist. Remember, you are worth it!

*Disclaimer: This article is not intended or implied to be a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your doctor or other medical professional before acting on information you read on the Internet.