Heart Health Help #2: Look on the bright side

In an 8 year study of almost 100,000 women, those rated as optimistic (endorsing statements such as, "In unclear times, I usually expect the best") were 30 percent less likely to diet of heart disease than were pessimists (who believed things like, "If something can go wrong for me, it will"). Although researchers can't pinpoint the mechanism, it may be that pessimists respond to everyday aggravations with longer rises in blood pressure and stress hormones that, over time, take a toll on the heart. What should you do if you are a glass half-empty kind of person? Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you learn to think more positively, says researcher Hilary Tindle, MPH, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh. And, as she reminds her patients, good habits like exercise and getting enough sleep can improve your perspective as well.

For more information on cognitive behavioral therapy, visit www.nacbt.org.