Positive emotions ‘can have a positive impact on heart health’

A new study has indicated that positive emotions could have a positive impact on heart health that was not previously understood.

The Penn State study saw researchers track more than 1,000 patients with coronary heart disease, assessing their psychological wellbeing at baseline and again at a five-year follow-up.

It was found that patients who reported more positive psychological states were more likely to be physically active, sleep better and take their heart medication, as well as being less likely to smoke.

This may be because people are more motivated to live healthily and have more confidence in their abilities to maintain routines such as physical activity and sleep hygiene, while they can also proactively cope with stress and setbacks.

Nancy Sin, postdoctoral fellow in the department of biobehavioural health at Penn State, said: "We found that positive emotions are associated with a range of long-term health habits, which are important for reducing the risk of future heart problems and death."

Further research with other chronic disease populations and with electronic tracking of health behaviours may now be conducted based on these findings.