Heart health when life is satisfying: evidence from the Whitehall II cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Negative psychological states such as stress and depression are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but it is unclear whether some positive states are protective. We investigated satisfaction with specific life domains as predictors of incident CHD.

Methods and results

Coronary risk factors and satisfaction within seven life domains (e.g. job and family) were assessed in 7956 initially healthy members of the Whitehall II cohort. Incident CHD (angina, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or death from CHD) was ascertained from medical screening, hospital data, and registry linkage over five person-years of follow-up. Satisfaction averaged across domains was associated with reduced CHD risk (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78-0.98), controlling for demographic

SUBMITTER: Boehm JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3205478 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature