See the glass as half empty? Pessimism could lead to heart disease

A new study from Finland has found a link between a pessimistic attitude and heart disease, reports The New York Times.

The study, published in BMC Public Health, followed 2,267 men and women aged 52 to 76 who were asked to rate how well a statement applied to them based on a scale from zero to four. Statements included lines like, “In uncertain times, I usually expect the best,” or “If something can go wrong for me, it will.”

Researchers followed participants for 11 years, over which time 122 people died from coronary heart disease. Results showed that participants with the highest scores of pessimism were more than twice as likely to die of heart disease compared to those with lower scores of pessimism or those who were more optimistic.

To read more about the study, follow the link below:

Katherine Davis,

Senior Writer

As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.

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