Happiness May Lower Heart Disease Risk

Let’s face it. Life can be stressful—and that stress can negatively affect our lives. A 2024 Gallup poll drives this point home, finding that less than half of Americans are “very satisfied” with their personal lives.

People who are more stressed out also tend to be less happy. And happiness—or the lack of it—may affect our heart health, according to research published on September 18, 2024 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Let’s see what these researchers found.

How Was This Study Conducted & What Did It Find?

For this study, researchers were looking for an association between happiness and cardiovascular diseases, specifically stroke, coronary heart disease, heart attack and heart failure. They took data from the UK Biobank, a long-term study that recruited over 500,000 individuals aged 40 to 69 between 2006 and 2010. From the UK Biobank, they pulled information on 121,317 people with an average age of 57, 55% of them women, who met the criteria they were looking for, which included facets of well-being and no pre-existing conditions at baseline. The average length of time participants were followed was 12 years. 

Researchers considered six key facets of well-being, including general happiness and satisfaction with family, friendships, health, finances and job situations. Participants had scored their responses as “extremely happy,” “very happy,” “moderately happy,” “moderately unhappy,” “very unhappy,” or “extremely unhappy” for each question regarding these life areas.

Scores from participants’ responses were compiled based on the Well-Being Index, a validated measure of subjective well-being. 

In addition, researchers looked at the long-term data to see which participants ended up with stroke, coronary heart disease, heart attack or heart failure. 

Lifestyle factors were also taken into consideration, including BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, television viewing habits, sleep duration and dietary patterns. Participants’ dietary patterns were evaluated based on the World Health Organization’s recommendations and focused on the intake of fruits and vegetables, fish, red meat and processed meats. 

Since inflammation has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory markers were also taken into account from participants’ bloodwork.

Initial statistical analyses found that higher well-being was associated with people who:  

• Didn’t smoke 
• Didn’t consume alcohol
• Regularly exercised
• Ate healthy
• Spent less time watching TV
• Got the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night

Researchers then analyzed 28 combinations of well-being and healthy lifestyle factors known to influence cardiovascular disease risk. BMI, smoking, sleep duration and time spent watching TV were the most significant factors that influenced the link between well-being and cardiovascular disease. Specifically, researchers found that:

• Compared to adults with a low sense of well-being, the overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease was 10% to 21% lower for people with the highest well-being scores.
• Compared to adults with a low sense of well-being, people with the highest well-being scores had a 44% lower risk of coronary artery disease, 45% lower risk of stroke, 51% lower risk of heart failure and 56% lower risk of heart attack.

According to the study authors, these analyses suggest that people with higher levels of well-being tended to adopt healthier lifestyles. Researchers note that this supports a potential cause-and-effect relationship between higher well-being and reduced cardiovascular risk.

This brings a sort of “chicken-and-egg” conundrum to mind. Which comes first—being happy or engaging in healthy habits? In other words, do happier people tend to engage in healthier habits? Or do the healthy habits bring more happiness? Perhaps it’s both. 

How Does This Apply to Real Life?

Study authors emphasize the importance of a holistic approach to health—also known as a biopsychosocial perspective—pointing out the role that mental and emotional well-being play in preventing heart disease and stroke. 

“These results underscore the profound impact that emotional and psychological health can have on physical well-being, shedding light on intricate biological mechanisms that were not fully appreciated before,” says senior study author Wen Sun, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of the Stroke Center at the University of Science and Technology of China. 

It’s important to keep in mind that all aspects of our health—mental, emotional, physical and spiritual—are connected and that each area affects the others. When we’re not taking care of each of these areas, it will have some negative impact on the others. But the good news is that the opposite is also true.

And since prevention is the goal, it’s imperative to start changing your habits now to help prevent illness later. This includes staying on top of your stressors, getting plenty of quality sleep, having strong social and relationship connections, moving your body often and incorporating heart-healthy foods that include things like healthy fats, fiber and lean protein. Following the MIND diet, an eating pattern that fuses the Mediterranean and DASH diets, provides a framework for the foods you need for a healthy heart and brain. 

Besides these habits, other ones have also been associated with happiness. For example, practicing gratitude has been linked to an increase in happiness and better health. Even staying well-hydrated may help you feel happier and more productive. And if you need a quick attitude adjustment and happiness boost, step outside. There is evidence that spending time in nature can increase happiness—even more so if you’re moving your body outdoors. So consider skipping the treadmill and going for a walk outside.

The Bottom Line

This study suggests that happier people tend to have some protection against heart disease and stroke. If you find yourself in the less happy crowd, find ways to boost your happiness quotient. Take an honest assessment of your health habits and areas of life and pick one or two to start with. Since they’re all connected, establishing your initial new habits will make the rest of them a little easier to change.