Mercer Island, WA

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

You already know about choices that promote heart health like regular exercise, heart-healthy eating and smoking cessation.   Now add heart-healthy thinking.

The connection between thoughts and heart disease dates back to the 1950's, as two cardiologists, Drs. Friedman and Rosenman, tried to make sense of an offhand comment from the man they hired to reupholster their waiting room chairs.  While most chairs show their wear at the back of the armrest and seat; the cardiologists' chairs were worn at the front.

The reason?  The heart patients perched on the edge of the seat and leaped up frequently, usually to ask how much longer they'de have to wait. The cardiologists went on to describe the association between the stressed and driven Type A personality and heart disease.

There's growing body of clinical evidence that other negative feelings states, like anger, anxiety, depression and loneliness all increase the risk of heart disease.  Conversely, positive feeling states are good for your heart.   You can change your feeling state by changing your thoughts. Even if nothing changes, things can be different.

Here are three ideas about heart-healthy thinking.

Tip #1: Think about others. 

Compassionate thoughts lead to acts of kindness that trigger the brain to release heart-protective oxytocin.  Even if you only witness the kindness of others, you still experience "helper's high."

Be sure to give in a healthy, balanced way.  Dr. Harriet Braiker describes unhealthy giving in her book The Disease to Please; she points out that people pleasers who are driven by the desire to make others happy and avoid conflict increase their own health risk. This may explain why family caregiving is an independent risk factor for heart disease.

Tip #2: Replace complaints with joy, laughter and play   

Reverend Bowen, the author of A Complaint-Free World, says an average person complains 15 to 30 times a day; complaining erodes heart health.

Dr. Maya Angelou says, "If you don't like something, change it.  If you can't change it, change your attitude.  Don't complain."

Replace complaints with laughter, joy and playfullness.  People with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

Tip #3: Replace grudges with forgiveness

Local husband and wife team Drs. David Barish (Evolutionary biologist) and Judith Lipton (Psychiatrist) explore grudges in their recent book Payback: why we retaliate, redirect aggression, and take revenge. They find "kicking the cat" behavior in many species; and offer a biologic explanation: the person who passes along the pain feels better.

However, people engaged in payback hang onto their anger, and grudges increase the risk of heart disease.  Forgiveness is the heart-healthy option.

Why forgive when grudges feel better?  The person who forgives is released from the hope that the past will be anything other than what it was, allowing you to move forward.

As you choose your thoughts, consider this:

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

--Unknown

Dr. Vicki Rackner is a physician who offers health and wellness tips.  Go to www.ahealthy2012.com to sign up for weekly tips.  Contact Dr. Rackner at (425) 451-3777. 

Vicki Rackner MD

Caregiving Expert, Author and Speaker

Mercer Island, WA

425-451-3777