How Bad Feelings Can Harm Your Health

Studies show impact of apathy, hopelessness on cardiovascular disease

The "mind-body connection".  Sick of hearing it yet?  Too bad if you are.  Keep reading. 

A depressed emotional state, particularly having feelings of hopelessness and apathy, may have a direct effect on your physical health, according to a new research studies in the Aug 27 issue of Stroke Journal.

A study of stroke survivors found a slower rate of recovery among those experiencing apathy, caring little about themselves and the world around them. And a study of healthy middle-aged women found an association between hopelessness and unexpected thickening of the carotid artery, the main blood vessel to the brain.

Did you ladies get that?!

The apathy study was triggered by a 2006 paper on Parkinson's disease in a different journal which indicated that if patients were apathetic the best thing was just to leave them alone.

This studies author (Nancy Mayo) was outraged that the implied suggestion was to just leave these patients be; in effect, don't bother trying to help.

So Mayo designed and performed a study whereby 408 family caregivers of stroke survivors filled out apathy questionnaires every four months, asking whether the survivor "waits for someone to do things that he or she can do for self," or "just sits and watches" and similar type questions assessing observed behaviors.

Though the study design wasn't perfect, reports indicated that a third of the stroke survivors had minor apathy through the first year, with 3 percent having high levels of apathy. Apathy worsened for 7 percent of the survivors, and eased for 7 percent during the year.

Measurements of physical function showed that even very minor apathy states had just as strong an impact on recovery as major apathy, according to Dr. Mayo.  Quality of life indicators of the stroke survivors, such as their engagement in social activities, found smaller improvement among those whose apathy worsened.

Though no treatment suggestions were made, Mayo is optimistic because it opened the door to an avenue of helping a group of patients who were previously being potentially overlooked and undertreated. 

Drug therapy is a vague possibility, along with behavioral therapy, though there is scant, if any evidence to help doctors in the right direction with regard to therapy.

Now for the heart.

A University of Minnesota professor and colleagues singled out 559 menopausal women with no history of cardiovascular disease to answer a two-item questionnaire about their expectations regarding future goals.

Previous studies found an association between hopelessness and cardiovascular disease outcome as did another study in women with documented cardiovascular disease.

This new study found a direct relationship between rising hopelessness and thickening of the lining of the carotid artery, a risk factor for stroke. Overall, women measuring higher on the hopelessness scale had .02 millimeters more thickening, equal to the amount caused by one year of aging. Women with the highest hopeless scores had an average .06 millimeters greater thickening than those with the lowest scores.

While researchers stopped short of saying hopeless actually "caused" the thickening, the evidence is strong enough to warrart recommendations for managing life situations better or having coping skills to handle life.

Of course, as most of you are aware, this would be more evidence for the pharmaceutical companies to put more people on mind-altering drugs.

You've seen it all over our site.

For the love of God and your Self...just buy this program, do it, and live a better life.   You and I both know that a pill isn't going to give you a better life, so quit procrastinating, unlock your fullest potential and discover how YOU, yeah YOU, can directly improve your own health through the power of your own mind.