New research shows that people who are happy and optimistic have a lower risk of high cholesterol.
Optimistic middle-aged people have “good” cholesterol, which helps protect the heart and eliminates “bad” cholesterol. According to researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (USA), these people also have triglyceride levels – fat molecules associated with low arteriosclerosis. Part of the reason may be that optimists tend to keep their body weight stable and follow a healthy diet.
Scientists analyzed data from the Midlife study in the United States, including phone interviews and tests conducted on 990 people aged 40-70 years. After the interview, the level of optimism of the research subjects evaluated on a scale of 6 – 30 depends on the degree of consensus with such sentences “at a time when things are not clear, I always look forward to wait for the best “, or the like.
Lead researcher Julia Boeh said: “This study adds evidence that our mental health and physical health are inextricably linked and optimistic about life. will bring health benefits “. Previous research by Boehm and colleagues showed a link between optimism and risk of heart attack, so they decided to find out whether there is an independent link between mental state and Cholesterol levels – factors that affect the risk of heart attack or not.
Harvard researchers have tried to calculate other influencing factors and when they take into account lifestyle, including diet, alcohol absorption and body weight, the link between optimistic spirits and the amount of fat in the blood becomes faint. This suggests that optimists tend to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and weight may partly explain the difference in blood fat.
As a result, people with high optimistic scores have more high-density lipoprotein (HDL), but HDL is a “good” cholesterol that helps prevent heart disease. When the level of optimism increases, HDL in the blood also increases. According to the researchers, the increase in HDL corresponding to 5 points in the optimistic index will reduce the risk of heart disease by 3%. Meanwhile, regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease by 6%. However, there is no mental connection with optimism for total cholesterol.