Heart attack victims can enjoy a healthy recovery if they look on the bright side of life , research found . Heart attack victims can enjoy a healthy recovery if they look on the bright side of life , research found . Pessimists who grumble through life were twice as likely to suffer another heart attack , require surgery or even die , compared with more cheerful patients . That is according to a group of scientists at University College London who spent four years studying the mental attitudes of 369 patients admitted to hospital with unstable angina and heart attacks . While it is widely known that optimism is linked to better heart health , this is the first study to look at the impact of a patient ’ s attitude after suffering a heart attack . The team said their findings could be linked to physical and psychological impacts of being optimistic , such as smoking and healthy eating . Smoking has long been known to be a major risk factor for heart attack and angina , with an estimated 22,000 deaths each year from cardiovascular disease linked to smoking . And this study showed that half of the most pessimistic patients who smoked were still smoking on year after going into hospital . By contrast , 85 per cent of optimistic smokers kicked the habit entirely . Positive patients are also more likely to aid their recovery by eating more fruit and vegetables after their incident – some 40 per cent of them ate the recommended five-a-day , compared with just 20 per cent of pessimists . However , the study did find that optimistic patients were no more likely to do more exercise than pessimists . Lead author of the research , Professor Steptoe , said : ‘ Our research shows that optimistic people are more likely to take advice about lifestyle changes on board , like quitting smoking and eating more healthily – this results in better outcomes after a patient suffers from unstable angina or a heart attack . In the UK , 2.3 million people are living with coronary heart disease , the major cause of heart attacks and unstable angina . ‘ Our findings could be used to identify pessimistic patients and encourage them to make the necessary changes to their lifestyle that can ultimately lead to better health. ’ Dr Mike Knapton , associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation , added : ‘ Suffering from a serious condition like angina or heart attack can take a drastic emotional toll , which we know can lead to depression , further lowering the chances of a full recovery after a heart attack . ‘ If you ’ re living with a heart condition and struggling to cope , we would urge you to contact your GP who can put you in touch with the necessary support. ’ Depression has also been linked to poor outcomes for heart patients . These findings discovered that pessimistic patients were twice as likely to have depressive symptoms a year after suffering a heart attack or unstable angina . The experts hope their study will help identify the patients most at risk of suffering serious health complications in the years after recovering from heart problems . In the UK , 2.3 million people are living with coronary heart disease , the major cause of heart attacks and unstable angina . The study was published in Psychosomatic Medicine .
Scientists at UCL spent 4 years studying mental attitudes of heart patients . It is widely known that optimism is linked to better heart health . This is first study to look at impact of a patient ’ s attitude after heart attack . Score: 7