Understanding psychological factors that may be linked to disease can lead to innovative prevention and treatment efforts. This study examines a positive psychological characteristic—purpose in life—and its relationship to stroke.
Health—whether psychological or physical—is characterized not just by the absence of disease but increasingly by the presence of well-being. These researchers looked at the relationship between psychological well-being (marked by optimism, happiness, and life purpose) and serum antioxidants such as carotenoids and Vitamin E, which are indicators of physical health.
Positive psychological well-being, especially optimism, protects against the incidence, and somewhat against the progression, of cardiovascular disease through a broad array of mechanisms, according to this extensive literature review.
