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Optimistic Attitudes Protect Against Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Healthy Middle-Aged Women

From the Departments of Psychiatry (K.A.M.), Epidemiology (K.S.-T.), and Psychology (L.H.K.), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and the Department of Psychology (K.R.), Helsinki, Finland.

View larger version (32K): [in a new window]   Figure 1. Percent increase in IMT during 3 years according to quartiles of LOT scores at study entry 10.4 years earlier where highest quartile is most pessimistic and the lowest quartile is most optimistic. Linear trend, p < .002; quadratic trend, p < .06.

View larger version (30K): [in a new window]   Figure 2. Percent increase in IMT during 3 years in women who were in lowest quartile of LOT scores at study entry and 10.4 years later (chronically optimistic) and in women who were in the highest quartile of LOT scores at study entry and 10.4 years later (chronically pessimistic); ANCOVA, p < .023. Optimists’ mean change in maximum IMT was –0.001.