Staying positive may help protect your heart from needless aging.
In a study of men, those who had a tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anxiety, pessimism, and hostility, had a higher risk of heart disease compared to their peers who possessed more positive emotional outlooks. Catch yourself when your mood turns dark and try focusing on positive thoughts.
Negative people may be able to undo the damage of negative emotions by fostering a more positive frame of mind. However, more research into this dynamic is needed before such a relationship can be confirmed. The reasons that negative people may have an increased risk of heart disease are unclear. It may be that these emotions affect heart rate variability or promote inflammatory proteins tied to heart disease. Or, people with negative outlooks may be less likely to follow medical advice or stick with treatment regimens.
RealAge Benefit: Recovering from emotional trauma can make your RealAge as much as 16 years younger.
Take the RealAge Test
In a study of men, those who had a tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anxiety, pessimism, and hostility, had a higher risk of heart disease compared to their peers who possessed more positive emotional outlooks. Catch yourself when your mood turns dark and try focusing on positive thoughts.
Negative people may be able to undo the damage of negative emotions by fostering a more positive frame of mind. However, more research into this dynamic is needed before such a relationship can be confirmed. The reasons that negative people may have an increased risk of heart disease are unclear. It may be that these emotions affect heart rate variability or promote inflammatory proteins tied to heart disease. Or, people with negative outlooks may be less likely to follow medical advice or stick with treatment regimens.
RealAge Benefit: Recovering from emotional trauma can make your RealAge as much as 16 years younger.
Take the RealAge Test