Does an Upbeat Outlook Mean a Healthy Heart?

In my post for today I have very interesting findings from a study, Optimism and Cardiovascular Health, published in the January/February 2015 issue of Health Behavior and Policy Review that state people who have upbeat outlooks on life have significantly better cardiovascular health.

“Individuals with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to their more pessimistic counterparts,” said lead author Dr. Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois (UI). “This association remains significant, even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and poor mental health.”

In this latest study, the UI team looked at the associations between optimism and heart health in more than 5,100 adults. The researchers used seven metrics to assess participants’ cardiovascular health: blood pressure, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose and serum cholesterol levels, dietary intake, physical activity and tobacco use — the same metrics used by the American Heart Association (AHA) to define heart health and targeted by the AHA in its “Life’s Simple 7″ (LS7) public awareness campaign.

Believed to be the first study to examine the association of optimism and cardiovascular health in a large, ethnically and racially diverse population, the sample for the current study was 38 percent white, 28 percent African-American, 22 percent Hispanic/Latino and 12 percent Chinese.

Data for the study were derived from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, an ongoing examination of subclinical cardiovascular disease that includes 6,000 people from six U.S. regions, including Baltimore, Chicago, Forsyth County in North Carolina, and Los Angeles County.

Begun in July 2000, MESA followed participants for 11 years, collecting data every 18 months to two years. Dr. Hernandez, who is an affiliated investigator on MESA, is leading a team in conducting prospective analyses on the associations found between optimism and heart health.

Dr. Hernandez said, “They hope their future research will help them sort out exactly how optimism and heart health are related.” For instance, although the evidence clearly suggests a connection, it is not yet known whether optimism or healthy behaviors come first. It could be that happier, more positive people are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, which in turn improves factors like blood pressure. It could also be that engaging in healthy behaviors and having a better biological profile helps boost psychological well-being. “Longitudinal data will help resolve these questions,” said Dr. Hernandez.

Thanks for visiting! 

Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It.

January is National Stalking Awareness Month. The theme for 2015 is “Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It.” 

The National Center for Victims of Crime launched National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM) in January of 2004 to increase the public’s understanding of the crime of stalking. NSAM emerged from the work of the Stalking Resource Center, a National Center program funded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, to raise awareness about stalking and help develop and implement multidisciplinary responses to the crime. NSAM began in response to a 2003 call to the Stalking Resource Center from Debbie Riddle, the sister of murdered stalking victim Peggy Klinke. 

An estimated 23.4 million men and women in the United States have experienced stalking during their lifetimes. Stalking is a crime in all 50 states, the U.S. Territories and the District of Columbia, yet many victims and criminal justice professionals underestimate its seriousness and impact. Stalking is difficult to recognize, investigate, and prosecute. Unlike other crimes, stalking is not a single, easily identifiable crime but a series of acts; a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause that person fear. Stalking may take many forms, such as assaults, threats, vandalism, burglary, or animal abuse, as well as unwanted cards, calls, gifts, or visits. One in four victims reports that the stalker uses technology, such as computers, global positioning system devices, or hidden cameras, to track the victim’s daily activities. Stalkers fit no standard psychological profile, and many stalkers follow their victims from one jurisdiction to another, making it difficult for authorities to investigate and prosecute their crimes. Victims often suffer from anxiety, social dysfunction, and severe depression at much higher rates than the general population, and many lose time from work or have to move as a result of their victimization.

If you or anyone you know is currently a victim of stalking, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance. If you are interested in learning more about resources for stalking victims, visit the Stalking Resource Center.

Thanks for visiting and learning a little about National Stalking Awareness Month.