Optimism could protect you from stroke: Study

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 21 2011

The latest research from the University of Michigan shows that optimism reduces the risk of stroke. In a study of 6,044 adults over 50 with no history of stroke, optimism was associated with significantly reduced risk of stroke, even when controlling for stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, heart disease and body mass index.

“Past research has linked optimism with a range of health benefits, including cardiovascular outcome,” says lead author Eric Kim, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Michigan. The study was published Thursday in the journal Stroke.

For the study Kim’s team looked at data from the National Institutes of Health Health and Retirement Study, analyzing the relationship between how participants scored on an 15-point optimism scale and how likely they were to suffer a stroke during a two-year follow-up period. Optimistic statements included those like, “In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.”

Results showed that each point increase in optimism rating, patients were 9 percent less likely to suffer a stroke. The reduction in risk is on par with the reduction seen in those making dietary changes, such as increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet.

Speculating on why and how optimism affected heart health researchers said it could be working by reducing blood pressure, or the extent to which blood pressure spikes when stressed out, or it could be that those who are optimistic are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors such as good eating and exercise. Dr. Redford Williams, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University who has studied the connection between personality traits and health extensively said, “We can't say for sure which thing is responsible for reduction in stroke, or as we have found in a recent study, a reduction in mortality among those with heart disease. It's pretty clear though, that something in optimism and related psychological characteristics is protective.”

“People who are optimistic are more likely to listen to other people's advice and plan for the future and think they can change the outcome,” says Dr. Joseph Broderick, professor and chairman in the department of neurology at the University of Cincinnati, but this doesn't mean that all optimistic people will have a lower risk of stroke. Broderick cautions that saying point blank that optimism reduces stroke risk is a “huge generalization” that hides a lot of the other factors that play into who does and who doesn't suffer from stroke or other health problems.

Dr. Wendy Wright, medical director of the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, agreed that more study is needed to parse out what's going on in the optimism-stroke relationship. “It would be valuable to know ... if the results will be different if people try to 'manipulate' their levels of optimism to improve stroke risk…Encourage optimism for its health benefits. It has no downside. Optimism is free!” she added.

Dr Sharlin Ahmed, from the Stroke Association, said, “There has been a long-term belief that positive thinking can improve your recovery after a stroke, so it's interesting to see that it could also reduce your risk of having a stroke in the first place. This study claims that optimistic people will be more motivated to follow a healthy lifestyle such as exercising regularly which can reduce our risk of stroke. There are many cynics amongst us, however it seems that helping people to make the most of life and viewing your glass as half full could go a long way to improving our overall health and well-being.”

The study was partially funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio through the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Martin Seligman, who directs the center and is a long-time optimism researcher, calls the new finding, “a major new discovery.” “Since optimism is teachable, this implies that a trial that teaches optimism to pessimists at risk for stroke might be of real benefit to public health,” he said.