We always say that a person’s beliefs about their disease have an impact on recovery, but few studies have showed positive emotions or optimisms can result in better outcomes.
Now a study published in the February issue of Arch intern Med showed that optimistic patients do indeed liver longer.
The investigators asked 2,818 patients (mean age, 62 years) with significant obstructive coronary artery disease who had just undergone coronary angiography about their expectations for recovery while patients were still in the hospital.
They found that patients who were moderately optimistic and felt that they would be able to get better and return to a normal lifestyle had a 30% better chance of surviving than pessimistic individuals.
The lead investigator suggested optimistic heart patients may be better at coping with difficult situations. The other possibility is that heart patients with high expectations of a good recovery may experience less stress.
If you are patient with heart disease, don’t worry about the outlook and keep a positive attitude. My mom was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and colorectal cancer 30 years ago. She keeps positive outlook and continues her exercise everyday (30 minutes walk every day). Today, she is 67 and lives a happy and normal life.
Source: Arch Intern Med. February 28, 2011
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