Saturday is World Heart Day, created by the World Heart Federation, an association of nearly 200 organizations in over 100 countries.

At least 80 percent of heart-related illnesses are avoidable, according to the federation. Generally, changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle habits, such as tobacco, make a big difference, but researchers are learning that there is another key factor — one’s mental, or spiritual, health.

Experts now understand that depression, anger, anxiety and hostility are bad for the heart, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, which recently released a study that showed that optimism, life satisfaction and happiness provide lasting benefits to the heart. Researchers found that optimism can cut the risk of a cardiovascular event in half.

I’m a perfect case study. I never had heart trouble until I started getting depressed. Life had become a drudgery, and not only that, I had no hope that it would get any better. Around the same time, I developed a rapid and irregular heartbeat, causing me to fear I would become at risk for a heart attack.

Shortly thereafter, a wise family friend suggested I see what some writers had to say about “Spirit” as a term for the Divine — as it is often used in the Bible and other sacred texts. I came away from that with the sense that I could find activities that I like to do and that make me feel spirited. I started pursuing activities and a vocation I was interested in. This brought happiness back into my life, and my heart responded positively. It returned to its natural rhythm — fast when I was busy and slow when I was resting.

This experience showed me the importance of spirituality to health. As it turns out, “the matters of the heart” matter to the heart.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, this could have “strong implications for the design on prevention and intervention strategies” for heart disease.

Lead researcher Laura Kubzansky suggests clinical emphasis on bolstering these so-called “psychological strengths.”

Commenting on the study, Dr. Elizabeth Jackson of the University of Michigan and American College of Cardiology, said: “There’s no magic happy pill … Sometimes it’s hard, particularly in tough economic times, but taking a moment to just relax and enjoy a sunny day might be good heart health.”

After my experience with hope and heart health, I became a new-found fan of the Bible. It includes practical counsel about the value of turning to God when our spirits are down. Dr. Jackson’s words reminded me of something it said: “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”

In fact, that line from the Bible in the famous Psalm 23, has another translation: “He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He restores my failing health.” That’s a 1971 translation, bringing out the ancient meaning of the line through today’s words.

Well, what’s good for the soul is good for the heart, too.

Wes Davis writes about health, spirituality and the impact of faith on lives. He is also a legislative liaison for spiritual care and Christian Science in Maine. He can be reached at

wdaviscs@gmail.com

 

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