Health Spotlight | Emotions take a toll on the heart

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More than 800 thousand people have a heart attack every year. For 200 thousand of these people, it will be their second heart attack. Poor diet, obesity, and lack of physical activity are leading contributors to a heart attack, but your emotions can also take a toll on your heart.

“The effect of social isolation and loneliness on our health is as powerful as things like smoking, high blood pressure, obesity,” said Dr. Richard S. Schwartz, a psychiatrist.

In a report from the American Heart Association, researchers found social isolation can increase the risk for a heart attack by 29%.

Anger is also not good for your heart. A study from Columbia University found that after being angry, your blood vessels are impaired for up to 40 minutes. This can lead to heart problems and eventually a heart attack.

Even extreme happiness can damage your heart. A European study found that people can have a sudden weakening of the heart muscles after a joyful event like a wedding, surprise party, or a sporting event. So, what can you do to keep your emotions from breaking your heart? Try yoga.

Deep breathing during yoga is calming and relieves stress if done regularly. You can also exercise 30 minutes five times a week to improve your heart health and getting together with friends can lower your risk for high blood pressure and a heart attack.

“Don’t think about it. Just do it. You know, call somebody up and invite them to do something with you,” said Rev. Bradford Clark.

For the Columbia University study on anger, the participants involved were all healthy and had no signs of heart disease or other chronic conditions.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network.