Optimism about heart risks may be a good thing

Men who believe they are at low risk of a heart attack may in fact live longer than those with a more pessimistic outlook, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that of more than 2,800 adults followed for 15 years, men who thought they were at lower-than-average risk of a heart attack were 70 percent less likely than other men to die of heart disease or stroke—even with their objective risks taken into account. This relationship was not seen among women though.

The findings, published in the Annals of Family Medicine, suggest that a dose of optimism may be helpful in controlling heart disease risk. An awareness of one’s heart disease risk factors can certainly be a good thing. But problems may arise when people become fearful about their odds of suffering a heart attack, according to lead researcher Dr. Robert E. Gramling, of the University of Rochester in New York.