When we think about protecting the heart, we think cholesterol, blood pressure, exercise. A large body of research suggests we add one more variable: outlook.
The evidence
Pooled analyses find people with higher optimism carry roughly a 35% lower risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke (Rozanski et al., 2019; Levine et al., 2021). The American Heart Association, reviewing this literature, noted greater optimism is associated with healthier blood vessels.
The mechanism is inflammation
Optimism does not dissolve plaque. It appears to reduce the chronic wear-and-tear sustained stress places on the cardiovascular system — and a central part of that wear is low-grade inflammation. Markers like hs-CRP and fibrinogen rise with chronic stress and fall when it eases. Fibrinogen was one of the earliest, most sustained markers to move when people were trained toward optimism.
What mindspan measures
Two of mindspan’s inflammation markers — hs-CRP and fibrinogen — are the ones this research points to. mindspan reads where yours sit relative to an optimism-favorable range.
References
- Rozanski A, et al. Optimism With Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality. JAMA Network Open, 2019.
- Levine GN, et al. Mind-Heart-Body Connection (AHA). Circulation, 2021.
This article is for education and general wellbeing. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and does not replace your physician. mindspan is a wellness screen, not a diagnostic test.
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