Lower Cholesterol

New Prescription for a Healthy Heart:
Peace and Fulfillment

For years you may have seen media reports about the so-called "Type A" or heart attack-prone personality—hard-driving, competitive, time-driven people often found at the top of the corporate ladder. Yet, research has shown no link between this personality type and heart disease in women.

Instead, as we said above, studies show that a higher risk of heart disease in women is linked with tension, anxiety, worry over money, and the inability to get away and relax rather than ambition or competitive drive.

Another recent study has reported that the more educated a woman is, the less likely she is to develop heart disease. The better-educated women in the study tended to have fewer risk factors for heart disease and took better overall care of their health than less-educated women. The latter group had higher blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoked more cigarettes, and exercised less.

So it may be that the way you respond to your environment is important. Take a look at your lifestyle, your job and family satisfaction, and your ability to deal with tension. Try to find ways to get away and relax often. Do what you can to manage or reduce the stressful factors in your home and your work.

Taking active steps to gain a sense of peace and fulfillment in your life will not only make life richer, it may help protect you from heart disease.

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