Their findings may help shed more light on the subject. The findings show that psychological factors are not only risk factors for possible heart disease, but could also offer methods of reducing heart risk through behavior modification. Subjects in the study with the most symptoms of depression were two and a half times more likely to smoke than those with the fewest symptoms of depression. Women who were depressed were also less likely to exercise or be physically fit than non-depressed women. They were also likelier to be overweight or obese.
Cynical hostility is defined as a consistent lack of trust and bitterness toward others.
It was associated with atherosclerosis risk factors like smoking, poor physical fitness and lower HDL levels. Researchers at first found a connection between cynical hostility and high blood pressure, but found that it disappeared once they controlled for socioeconomic status. This finding suggests that low socioeconomic status could increase the risk for both cynical hostility and hypertension. The study included data from 688 women who took part in the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. WISE enrolled women 18 years old and older who had been referred for coronary angiography to evaluate suspected myocardial ischemia, a condition in which blood flow to the heart is limited by obstructions in the coronary arteries.