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Cross-sectional associations of optimism with artery calcification and function : The SCAPIS study

Natt och Dag, Yvonne ; Engström, Gunnar LU and Rosvall, Maria (2022) In Journal of Public Health Research 11(3).
Abstract

Background: An increasing amount of research indicates that positive psychological factors, such as optimism, might be beneficial for cardiovascular health. However, most studies have focused on cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to investigate associations between optimism and subclinical outcomes related to cardiovascular health. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from SCAPIS Malmö, Sweden, including 6251 randomly selected men and women from the Malmö municipality area, aged 50 to 64 years. Optimism was assessed via the LOT-R questionnaire, but also by using the two subscales of LOT-R, assessing optimism and pessimism separately. Arterial health was assessed as the coronary artery calcium score, ankle-brachial... (More)

Background: An increasing amount of research indicates that positive psychological factors, such as optimism, might be beneficial for cardiovascular health. However, most studies have focused on cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to investigate associations between optimism and subclinical outcomes related to cardiovascular health. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from SCAPIS Malmö, Sweden, including 6251 randomly selected men and women from the Malmö municipality area, aged 50 to 64 years. Optimism was assessed via the LOT-R questionnaire, but also by using the two subscales of LOT-R, assessing optimism and pessimism separately. Arterial health was assessed as the coronary artery calcium score, ankle-brachial index, and aortic augmentation index. Cardiovascular risk was estimated using the SCORE instrument. Adjustments were made for sociodemographic factors, depression, and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Those who were most optimistic had lower odds of coronary artery calcification, with an odds ratio of 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.58, 0.93), compared to those who were least optimistic. Also, higher levels of optimism were associated with a general pattern of lower aortic augmentation index, and with higher ankle-brachial index on both left and right side. For coronary artery calcification associations seemed to be mediated primarily through an absence of pessimism. The associations were reduced after adjustments, but persisted for measures of arterial function. Conclusions: The results indicate that optimism might be health protective with regard to arterial function, but with regard to coronary artery calcification it was rather the absence of pessimism that was of importance.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
atherosclerosis, epidemiology, Optimism, psychosocial
in
Journal of Public Health Research
volume
11
issue
3
publisher
Page Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:36185414
  • scopus:85139020400
ISSN
2279-9028
DOI
10.1177/22799036221110021
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
88762345-fba6-42c3-9bef-893ba66d8b8c
date added to LUP
2022-12-22 11:54:26
date last changed
2024-08-05 10:28:33
@article{88762345-fba6-42c3-9bef-893ba66d8b8c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: An increasing amount of research indicates that positive psychological factors, such as optimism, might be beneficial for cardiovascular health. However, most studies have focused on cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to investigate associations between optimism and subclinical outcomes related to cardiovascular health. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from SCAPIS Malmö, Sweden, including 6251 randomly selected men and women from the Malmö municipality area, aged 50 to 64 years. Optimism was assessed via the LOT-R questionnaire, but also by using the two subscales of LOT-R, assessing optimism and pessimism separately. Arterial health was assessed as the coronary artery calcium score, ankle-brachial index, and aortic augmentation index. Cardiovascular risk was estimated using the SCORE instrument. Adjustments were made for sociodemographic factors, depression, and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Those who were most optimistic had lower odds of coronary artery calcification, with an odds ratio of 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.58, 0.93), compared to those who were least optimistic. Also, higher levels of optimism were associated with a general pattern of lower aortic augmentation index, and with higher ankle-brachial index on both left and right side. For coronary artery calcification associations seemed to be mediated primarily through an absence of pessimism. The associations were reduced after adjustments, but persisted for measures of arterial function. Conclusions: The results indicate that optimism might be health protective with regard to arterial function, but with regard to coronary artery calcification it was rather the absence of pessimism that was of importance.</p>}},
  author       = {{Natt och Dag, Yvonne and Engström, Gunnar and Rosvall, Maria}},
  issn         = {{2279-9028}},
  keywords     = {{atherosclerosis; epidemiology; Optimism; psychosocial}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{Page Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Public Health Research}},
  title        = {{Cross-sectional associations of optimism with artery calcification and function : The SCAPIS study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/22799036221110021}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/22799036221110021}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}