Hearts Respond Positively to Optimism

An optimistic outlook on life not only protects against cardiovascular disease, but also slows the progression of disease, according to Harvard University researchers.

A review of more than 200 studies found that positive psychological well-being — specifically, optimism and life satisfaction — reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, independent of other factors such as age, socioeconomic status, smoking status, or body weight, reported Julia K. Boehm, PhD, and Laura D. Kubzansky, PhD.

A positive attitude also appeared to be associated with overall better blood pressure control and heart rate variability, as well as reduced biomarkers for inflammation, according to the study published online April 17 in Psychological Bulletin.

The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive, researchers said. It may be better to bolster psychological strengths rather than simply mitigating psychological deficits to improve cardiovascular health, they concluded.

Metal Allergy No Hindrance to PCI

Metal allergies should not keep cardiac patients from receiving coronary stents composed of nickel or other metals to which they may be hypersensitive, a single-center study suggests.

A group of 29 patients with metal allergy had similar inhospital and 30-day deaths, myocardial infarctions, and deaths at 4 years compared with […]