U.S. researchers have found a connection between optimism and cholesterol. A research conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that middle-aged people who are optimistic about their lives present healthier levels of high-density lipoproteins – the proteins that transport lipids or fats into the different parts of the body. According to Julia Boehm, a member of the research team, their study has shown a firm evidence that physical and psychological health intertwine to give people a healthier life. The said study has also shown lower risk of heart attack among their subjects due to lower cholesterol levels, one of the main culprits behind heart attacks.
Linking Optimism and Cholesterol
The goal of the study was to see the relation of optimism with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), triglycerides and total cholesterol. These types of lipoproteins perform different functions in the body and they can either be beneficial or detrimental. The study involved 990 male and female subjects. Most of them were Whites and in their mid-life, between 40 and 70 years old. The Life Orientation Test was performed to assess the subjects’ optimism. They were given statements to agree or disagree with things like “in certain times I usually expect the best.” Fasting blood samples were also examined to check their lipid levels. These data, including covariates like demographics and health status were studied.
Results showed that greater optimism goes with greater HDL, the good cholesterol that protects people against heart disease, and lower triglycerides, a type of fat made of glycerol and fatty acids that damage the arteries. However, LDL or the bad cholesterol was not associated with optimism. HDL increases by 1 milligram per deciliter for every 5-point increase on the optimism scale. In effect, the risk of heart attack will be lessened by 3%. With regular exercise, the risk of heart attack decreases further by 6%.
The research group of Julia Boehm saw the link between optimism and cholesterol weakening when they considered other factors such as body weight, diet and alcohol consumption in their study. However, the results showed that there is a big tendency for optimists to live healthier lifestyles and it greatly affects their cholesterol levels.
Healthier Lifestyle Lowers Health Risks
Dr. Franz Messerli, a cardiologist of St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital New York, however said that the result was predictable. Although not involved in the research, Dr. Messerli thinks that it is still impossible to conclude that optimism changes cholesterol levels and vice versa. He also believes that the risk of a heart attack heightens for depressed people, but does not necessarily lower down when one shifts to optimism.
In order to benefit from the association between optimism and cholesterol, Julia Boehm strongly recommends regular exercise, a healthy diet and a healthy social life . She explained that they do not have a strong evidence to prove that optimism directly affects cholesterol levels, but believes that such strategies will not hurt.
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