Increasing resiliency to lower the risk of heart disease

On Nutrition

What would you say if I asked you what variables assist you lower your risk of heart disease? Diet, exercise, and quitting smoking are all good things to do... Perhaps a glass of red wine in moderation? Of course, you're correct on all counts, but here's one you probably didn't think about: psychological resilience, or the ability to recover from stress.

Everyone can benefit from being resilient, but research from the Women's Health Initiative reveals that resilience is especially important for older women's heart health. This is essential since heart disease, particularly coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of mortality in women, and the risk increases after menopause as estrogen's protective effects wane.

High resilience was associated with higher engagement in heart-protective health behaviors among 77,395 women — average age 77 years — from varied racial and cultural origins, according to a study published in the journal Nutrients in 2020. Highly resilient women, in particular, ate a higher-quality diet, were physically active for at least 150 minutes each week, slept seven to nine hours per night, and used modest amounts of alcohol.

The authors found that women who reported higher levels of resilience had gone through fewer stressful life events, such as the death of a spouse or close friend, divorce or separation, major family conflict, physical or verbal abuse, or job loss. They were also less likely to suffer from depression and had better income, education, and social standing.

Highly resilient women believed they were better equipped to manage both stress and life issues linked with aging, according to previous Women's Health Initiative research published in 2016. This is significant because a study published in the journal Circulation in 2019 found that women with lower levels of cumulative stress — stress caused by a combination of psychological, social, physical, and environmental factors — were more likely to exercise and eat a healthy diet, as well as be less likely to smoke or have high blood pressure, cholesterol, or glucose levels. This is in line with a growing body of evidence that suggests that being exposed to more stress than we can handle and adapt to is bad for our cardiovascular health — and our ability to build heart-healthy habits. That’s true for both men and women.

While there are many different definitions of resilience, resilient people tend to bounce back fast from adversity or stressful experiences and emerge out the other side with minimal negative consequences. People with low resilience have a difficult time rebounding when something negative happens to them, and it takes them a long time to recover from setbacks in their lives.

It's important to note that resilience isn't the same as sucking it up and pushing through, or pretending that a stressful or unpleasant incident never happened. According to the authors of the 2020 study, succumbing to the pressure to function normally at work and at home in the face of excessive chronic and daily stressors — a "superwoman" phenomenon that is particularly prevalent among Black women — can lead to a lack of emotional support, depression, and unhealthy behaviors.

According to some experts, resilience is a personality attribute that you either have or don't have. Others argue that resilience is a set of behaviors, attitudes, and actions that can be learned and developed by anyone. This indicates that we have the ability to adapt positively in the face of substantial adversity, high levels of stress, and even trauma or threats. It's also likely that our level of resilience is influenced by the strength of our social ties.Increasing resilience takes time and effort, just like strengthening a muscle. These four tactics can help you build resilience so you can cope with and even learn from difficult and stressful situations.

Build connections

Isolation from others reduces resilience. Develop your ability to bounce back from setbacks by forming true bonds with people in your life — friends, family members, mentors — who will show you compassion and validate your feelings when life throws you a curveball. Joining a nonprofit organization or being there for a friend who is going through a difficult time can create self-worth and a sense of purpose while also creating connection and social support. All of the books I listed in my last stress column emphasize the significance of connectedness.

Take action

When things get challenging, it's crucial to allow yourself to feel your feelings with compassion. It's also vital to ask yourself what you can do about the current circumstance, and then create some realistic goals for moving forward, whether that means working on your résumé, attending a grieving support group, or seeking help from a therapist.

Take care of yourself

The research on women, resilience, and heart-healthy practices posed an intriguing question: Does adopting health-supporting activities help us be more robust in the face of great stress, or does adopting health-supporting behaviors help us be more resilient? Eating healthily, moving in ways that feel good, and getting enough sleep can all help our bodies cope with both physical and emotiona

Be mindful

Mindfulness practices like meditation or journaling can help you be aware of how you're feeling so you can ask yourself what you need to cope with those feelings and accept that the current situation is what it is for the time being, making it easier to take action rather than burying your head in the sand. Mindfulness also allows you to be more aware of your thoughts, which can help you avoid rumination or catastrophic thinking. This can also assist you in maintaining perspective and accepting change as a natural aspect of life. If you're having trouble with this, I recommend Russ Harris's "The Happiness Trap."