Heart disease patients with positive attitudes are more likely to exercise and live longer, according to a Danish study.

Along with exercise, increasing positive attitude should be a focus in cardiac rehabilitation, said Susanne S. Pedersen, Ph.D., one of the study authors and professor of cardiac psychology, the Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, the Netherlands, in a Health Canal article.

 The study, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, assessed the mood of 607 hospital patients with coronary artery disease. A follow-up five years later found that the most positive patients exercised more and had a 42% less chance of dying for any reason. Positive mood and exercise also cut the risk of heart-related hospitalizations.

The study concludes that “interventions aimed at increasing both positive affect and exercise may have better results with respect to patients’ prognosis and psychological well-being than interventions focusing on one of these factors.”

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