Despite what skeptics say, being kind to oneself is not a New Age fad—and there is research to back it up.
Middle-aged women who practiced self-compassion had a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease, irrespective of other traditional risk factors such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and cholesterol levels.
Previous studies have shown that self-compassion overlaps with improved blood-sugar control, stress management, and sleep.
Now, a small study with 191 middle-aged women found those who practiced self-compassion were less likely to show signs of preclinical atherosclerosis, a medical term used to describe early indicators of atherosclerotic plaque before it’s recognized through traditional screenings.
Over time, if undetected or untreated, plaque can rupture or block blood flow in the arteries and increase the risk for a heart attack or stroke.
To learn about the role self-compassion may have with cardiovascular disease risks, researchers partnered with study participants to analyze traditional risk factors and how kind the women were to themselves.
A self-compassion assessment asked women how they typically act toward themselves during difficult times.
For example: Do they have a balanced view of the situation?
Do they give themselves the care and tenderness they need to recover?
As part of the medical assessment, researchers used ultrasounds to measure the thickness of the women’s carotid arteries, which are near the neck and help carry blood from the heart to the brain.
The researchers found that women who scored higher on the self-compassion scale had thinner carotid artery walls and less plaque buildup than those with lower self-compassion.
These indicators have been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease—such as heart attacks and strokes—years later.
The results persisted even when the researchers controlled for behaviors and other psychological factors that might influence cardiovascular disease outcomes, such as physical activity, smoking, and depressive symptoms.
We are all living through extraordinarily stressful times. Self-compassion is essential for both our mental and physical health.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that heart disease can be found in the eyes, and findings of a new early warning sign for heart disease.
For more information about heart disease prevention and treatment, please see recent studies about newer diabetes drug that can protect kidney and heart health, and results showing this cheap drug combo could reduce heart disease death by one-third.
The study was conducted by Thurston, R. C. et al., and published in Health Psychology.
