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Abstract Background Despite the potentially life-saving benefits of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a significant group of patients experiences emotional distress after ICD implantation. Different psychosocial interventions have been employed to improve this condition, but previous reviews have suggested that methodological issues may limit the validity of such interventions. Aim: To review the methodology of previously published studies of psychosocial interventions in ICD patients, according to CONSORT statement guidelines for non-pharmacological interventions, and provide recommendations for future research. Methods We electronically searched the PubMed, PsycInfo and Cochrane databases. To be included, studies needed to be published in a peer-reviewed journal between 1980 and 2008, to involve a human population aged 18+ years and to have an experimental design. Results Twelve studies met the eligibility criteria. Samples were generally small. Interventions were very heterogeneous; most studies used cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and exercise programs either as unique interventions or as part of a multi-component program. Overall, studies showed a favourable effect on anxiety (6/9) and depression (4/8). CBT appeared to be the most effective intervention. There was no effect on the number of shocks and arrhythmic events, probably because studies were not powered to detect such an effect. Physical functioning improved in the three studies evaluating this outcome. Lack of information about the indication for ICD implantation (primary vs. secondary prevention), limited or no information regarding use of anti-arrhythmic (9/12) and psychotropic (10/12) treatment, lack of assessments of providers' treatment fidelity (12/12) and patients' adherence to the intervention (11/12) were the most common methodological limitations. Conclusions Overall, this review supports preliminary evidence of a positive effect of psychosocial interventions on anxiety and physical functioning in ICD patients. However, these initial findings must be interpreted cautiously because of important methodological limitations. Future studies should be designed as large RCTs, whose design takes into account the specific challenges associated with the evaluation of behavioural interventions.

Aims: This secondary analysis aimed to: 1) describe psychological resources and distress in women with Takotsubo Syndrome (TS), and 2) explore whether such factors affect blood pressure (BP) responses to acute mental stress., Methods and Results: Participants were 47 women consecutively enrolled in an ongoing study examining the prognostic significance of stress reactivity in TS. Psychological resources (resilience, adaptive coping) and distress (depression, anxiety, PTSD, perceived stress) were self-reported using validated questionnaires <12 weeks after TS. Using a standardized protocol, systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) (mmHg) were measured every 5 minutes during baseline (10 min), mental stress (10 min), and recovery (20 min). Associations of psychological resources and distress (high vs. low composite scores), respectively, with BP during mental stress and recovery (change from baseline) were examined using one-way ANCOVAs (covariates: age, anti-hypertensive medications). Given the study's exploratory nature, results are shown as effect sizes.On average, women (Mage= 64.3 years) had high perceived stress, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms and low resilience. Women with high (vs. low) psychological distress displayed less complete SBP (d=.57) and DBP (d=.33) recovery to baseline. Women with low (vs. high) psychological resources demonstrated lower SBP responses during mental stress (d=-.26) alongside a more complete SBP recovery (d=.30)., Conclusion: Female survivors of TS with high psychological distress exhibited impaired BP recovery following acute mental stress. While the prognostic significance of impaired BP recovery from mental stress remains to be determined in longitudinal studies, this finding could help identify TS survivors at risk for recurrence., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are the most common medical conditions in pregnancy and a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States. There are few interventions available to prevent HDP, and those currently available do not target underlying mechanisms of disease. Mindfulness training (MT) is effective at reducing blood pressure in non-pregnant patients with pre-hypertension and hypertension and has proven more effective at blood pressure reduction than other stress management interventions. MT thus holds great promise as a mind-body intervention to prevent HDP. This randomized trial will harness subjective and objective ecological momentary assessment methodology combined with wearable biosensor technology to capture psychological, physiological, and interpersonal processes through which MT may lead to improved maternal cardiovascular parameters. Pregnant women at risk for HDP will be randomized to an 8-week phone-delivered MT intervention or usual care. Through these methods, we will evaluate psychological, physiological, and interpersonal responses to daily experiences linking MT to cardiovascular parameters among women at risk for HDP., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: Sleep difficulties in pregnancy are common and increase the risk for obstetric complications. Past research shows that mindfulness training (MT) is helpful for improving sleep in non-pregnant adults and may improve sleep during pregnancy. However, it is unknown if MT improves sleep among pregnant people at risk for obstetric complications. We examined the effects of MT on sleep quality in individuals at risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Methods: Twenty-nine participants (mean age, 32 ± 4 years; mean gestational age, 16 ± 3weeks) at risk for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) were randomized to an 8-week phone-delivered MT intervention (n = 15) or treatment as usual (TAU; n = 14), designed to test MT feasibility and acceptability. As part of the study, participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and participated in a semi-structured individual qualitative interview which queried for sleep changes over pregnancy. Results: Participants randomized to MT reported less daytime sleep dysfunction compared to TAU (F = 5.79, p = 0.03, η p 2 = 0.28). Qualitative data illustrated the common experiences of sleep disturbance across both study groups; however, MT participants reported an improved ability to initiate sleep and return to sleep using mindfulness skills. About half of the participants in the MT condition reported an improvement in overall sleep quality due to less interference related to anxiety and restlessness, while other MT participants reported no change in sleep quality. Conclusions: Results from this study confirm that pregnant individuals frequently encounter sleep challenges. Findings also suggest that MT may be a helpful tool in improving sleep quality among pregnant people at risk for obstetric complications.

Aim: In this secondary analysis of a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), we sought to examine whether mindfulness training (MT) is associated with change in interoceptive awareness in pregnant people at risk for hypertension using quantitative and qualitative methods. Interoceptive awareness is the perception, regulation, and integration of bodily sensations. Interoceptive awareness increases following MT and has been proposed as a psychosomatic process underlying hypertension outside of pregnancy. Methods: Twenty-nine participants (mean age 32 ± 4 years; 67% White) with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) were enrolled at 16 weeks' gestation (SD = 3) for a RCT assessing the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-week phone-delivered MT intervention. Fifteen participants were randomized to MT, whereas 14 were randomized to usual prenatal care. Before and after the intervention, all participants completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) measure and participated an individual interview, which queried for mind-body changes noticed across the study period. Results: Adjusting for baseline interoceptive awareness and gestational age, participants randomized to MT reported less worry about physical sensations on the MAIA after the intervention compared to those randomized to usual care. Qualitative data corroborated these results; MT participants described improved awareness of body and breath sensations, ability to notice blood pressure changes, non-judgmental observation of thoughts, and improved responses to interpersonal challenges. Conclusions: MT may improve the ability to notice body sensations that arise in pregnancy in a way that promotes healthy responding rather than worry. Results provide support for interoceptive awareness as a potential mechanism through which mindfulness may modulate blood pressure and potentially reduce the prevalence of HDP. C linical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03679117).

Meta-analysis was used to investigate the potential benefits of stress management interventions (SMIs) on vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV) in adults with cardiovascular disease. Electronic bibliographic databases were searched through August 2022. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies assessing effects of SMIs on HRV were included. Methodological quality was assessed with a standardized checklist. A pooled effect size was calculated for vagally-mediated HRV indices (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals, root mean square of the successive differences, and high frequency power) using random effects models. Fourteen studies (1202 participants, M age : 59 ± 6.25 years; 25% ± 16% women; 61% ± 22% White) were included. Ten studies (11 effects) reported short-term HRV assessment; a small between-group difference emerged for vagally-mediated HRV (d+ = .27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.52, k = 11). Most interventions examined biofeedback; these studies yielded a small between-group difference on vagally-mediated HRV (d+ = 0.31, 95% CI 0.09-0.53, k = 7, Q [6] = 3.82, p = .70, I 2  = 11%). This is the first systematic examination of the effect of SMIs on HRV in adults with CVD. Findings suggest a small effect of SMIs on vagally-mediated HRV, with biofeedback likely driving the effect. More research is required to fully understand whether this benefit on vagally-mediated HRV applies to other SMIs., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The relationship between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and longevity is not fully understood. We aimed to determine which SBP levels in women ≥65 years of age with or without blood pressure medication were associated with the highest probability of surviving to 90 years of age., Methods: The study population consisted of 16 570 participants enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative who were eligible to survive to 90 years of age by February 28, 2020, without a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or cancer. Blood pressure was measured at baseline (1993 through 1998) and then annually through 2005. The outcome was defined as survival to 90 years of age with follow-up. Absolute probabilities of surviving to 90 years of age were estimated for all combinations of SBP and age using generalized additive logistic regression modeling. The SBP that maximized survival was estimated for each age, and a 95% CI was generated., Results: During a median follow-up of 19.8 years, 9723 of 16 570 women (59%) survived to 90 years of age. Women with an SBP between 110 and 130 mm Hg at attained ages of 65, 70, 75, and 80 years had a 38% (95% CI, 34%-48%), 54% (52%-56%), 66% (64%-67%), or 75% (73%-78%) absolute probability to survive to 90 years of age, respectively. The probability of surviving to 90 years of age was lower for greater SBP levels. Women at the attained age of 80 years with 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, or 100% time in therapeutic range (defined as an SBP between 110 and 130 mm Hg) had a 66% (64%-69%), 68% (67%-70%), 71% (69%-72%), 73% (71%-74%), 75% (72%-77%), or 77% (74%-79%) absolute survival probability to 90 years of age., Conclusions: For women >65 years of age with low cardiovascular disease and other chronic disease risk, an SBP level <130 mm Hg was found to be associated with longevity. These findings reinforce current guidelines targeting an SBP target <130 mm Hg in older women., Competing Interests: Disclosures None.

Background: Elevated psychosocial stress has been linked with accelerated biological aging, including composite DNA methylation (DNAm) markers that predict aging-related outcomes ("epigenetic age"). However, no study has examined whether stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with epigenetic age acceleration in postmenopausal women, an aging population characterized by increased stress burden and disease risk., Methods: We leveraged the Women's Health Initiative, a large muti-ancestry cohort of postmenopausal women with available psychosocial stress measures over the past year and epigenomic data. SLEs and social support were ascertained via self-report questionnaires. Whole blood DNAm array (450 K) data were used to calculate five DNAm-based predictors of chronological age, health span and life span, and telomere length (HorvathAge, HannumAge, PhenoAge, GrimAge, DNAmTL)., Results: After controlling for potential confounders, higher SLE burden was significantly associated with accelerated epigenetic aging, as measured by GrimAge (β: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.59) and DNAmTL (β: -0.016, 95% CI: -0.028, -0.004). Exploratory analyses showed that SLEs-GrimAge associations were stronger in Black women as compared to other races/ethnicities and in those with lower social support levels. In women with lower social support, SLEs-DNAmTL associations showed opposite association in Hispanic women as compared to other race/ethnicity groups., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that elevated stress burden is associated with accelerated epigenetic aging in postmenopausal women. Lower social support and/or self-reported race/ethnicity may modify the association of stress with epigenetic age acceleration. These findings advance understanding of how stress may contribute to aging-related outcomes and have important implications for disease prevention and treatment in aging women., (© 2023 The American Geriatrics Society.)

This was a secondary analysis of a prenatal mindfulness training (MT) RCT versus treatment as usual (TAU) on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a measure of maternal inflammation, and fetal head circumference. Fifteen participants were randomized to MT and 14 to TAU. NLR in third trimester was significantly lower in the MT group ( F  = 7.11, p  = 0.019) relative to those in TAU. Higher NLR values in second ( r  = -0.644, p  = 0.013) and third trimesters ( r  = -0.601, p  = 0.030) were associated with lower fetal HC%. There was no group difference in fetal HC%. A future, fully powered study is needed to replicate these findings. Clinical Trials Number: NCT03679117.

Background The association between psychosocial factors and atrial fibrillation (AF) is poorly understood. Methods and Results Postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative were retrospectively analyzed to identify incident AF in relation to a panel of validated psychosocial exposure variables, as assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression and hierarchical cluster analysis. Among the 83 736 women included, the average age was 63.9±7.0 years. Over an average of 10.5±6.2 years follow-up, there were 23 954 cases of incident AF. Hierarchical cluster analysis generated 2 clusters of highly correlated psychosocial variables: the Stress Cluster included stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and insomnia, and the Strain Cluster included optimism, social support, social strain, cynical hostility, and emotional expressiveness. Incident AF was associated with higher values in the Stress Cluster (hazard ratio [HR], 1.07 per unit cluster score [95% CI, 1.05-1.09]) and the Strain Cluster (HR, 1.03 per unit cluster score [95% CI, 1.00-1.05]). Of the 8 individual psychosocial predictors that were tested, insomnia (HR, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.03-1.06]) and stressful life events (HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.04]) were most strongly associated with increased incidence of AF in Cox regression analysis after multivariate adjustment. Subgroup analyses showed that the Strain Cluster was more strongly associated with incident AF in those with lower traditional AF risks ( P for interaction=0.02) as determined by the cohorts for heart and aging research in genomic epidemiology for atrial fibrillation score. Conclusions Among postmenopausal women, 2 clusters of psychosocial stressors were found to be significantly associated with incident AF. Further research is needed to validate these associations.

Background: Universities increasingly offer mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) to improve student health and reduce their impact on overburdened psychological services. It is critical for evidence-based policy to determine for what health outcomes mindfulness programs are effective and under what conditions. Objectives were to: (a) perform a comprehensive analysis of the effects of mindfulness interventions on physical, mental, and behavioral health outcomes in college undergraduate students, and (b) examine moderators of intervention effects to identify factors that may help improve existing university mindfulness programs and guide the design of new programs., Method: Systematic searches of five databases identified MBP randomized controlled trials for undergraduate students, measuring any health outcome. Analyses using robust variance estimation focused on standardized mean differences for outcomes between groups and modeled through coded study features., Results: The 58 studies in the review primarily focused on mental health with fewer assessments of physical health or health behaviors. Overall, mindfulness interventions significantly outperformed both active and inactive controls ( p s<.05), with the most marked effects on anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and mindfulness; greater success appeared for clinical populations. Online programs performed equivalent to in-person, and non-MBP programs were equivalent to MBP programs after controlling for other factors. Publication bias and other quality issues also emerged., Conclusions: Mindfulness programs improve well-being in college students, with the strongest evidence for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms. More studies utilizing stronger methods are needed to evaluate mindfulness programs' effects on additional health outcomes and online interventions in clinical populations., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Statement: We have no conflicts to declare.

Background: Interoception, the ability of the organism to sense, interpret, and regulate signals originating from within the body, plays an important role in how individuals perceive and respond to symptoms. However, there is scarce evidence on the role of interoception in the symptom experience of people with chronic conditions., Aim: To synthesize the role of interoception in the symptom experience of adults with a chronic condition., Methods: Systematic review. We searched PubMed, Psychinfo, Embase, CINAHL, and Science Citation Index-Expanded. We included primary research (all study designs) addressing our study aim, published between 2013 and 2021, and measuring at least one dimension of interoception. Any chronic condition and any symptom were included. No language limits were applied. Only the adult population was included., Results: We included 18 quantitative studies investigating the relationship between three interoceptive dimensions (i.e., accuracy, sensibility, awareness) and condition-specific symptoms in 8 chronic conditions. People with chronic conditions had lower interoceptive accuracy than healthy controls. Higher interoceptive sensibility was associated with lower symptom severity/frequency. Higher interoceptive accuracy was associated with lower symptom severity/frequency in half of the studies, while the other half reported the opposite. Only one study explored interoceptive awareness., Conclusion: Interoceptive accuracy is lower in patients with chronic conditions. Higher interoceptive sensibility is associated with lower symptom severity/frequency, but this relationship is unclear when it comes to interoceptive accuracy and awareness., Competing Interests: Declaration of interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: With growing scientific and public interest in the health benefits of mindfulness, clinicians increasingly face questions and solicitations for advice from patients about the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this clinician-focused review, we aim to revisit empirical studies on MBIs for CVD with the purpose of informing clinicians' decisions on how to provide recommendations consistent with updated scientific findings to patients interested in MBIs., Recent Findings: We start by defining MBIs and identifying the possible physiological, psychological, behavioral, and cognitive mechanisms underlying the potentially positive effects of MBIs for CVD. Potential mechanisms include the reduction of sympathetic nervous system activity, improved vagal control, and biological markers (physiological); psychological distress and cardiovascular health behaviors (psychological and behavioral); and executive function, memory, and attention (cognitive). Then, we summarize the extant evidence to identify gaps and limitations in MBI research for the purpose of informing future directions for cardiovascular and behavioral medicine researchers. We conclude with practical recommendations for clinicians communicating with patients with CVD who are interested in MBIs., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Heart failure (HF) self-care is a robust predictor of prognosis in HF patients. Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity in HF patients and constitutes a major challenge to HF self-care. Mindfulness training (MT) has been shown to improve cognitive function and interoception, two components essential to promoting effective HF self-care., Objectives: The aims of the Mind Your Heart-II (MYH-II) study are to investigate the effects of MT on HF self-care via changes in cognitive function and interoception in patients with comorbid HF and cognitive impairment, and to study the process by which MT can improve cognitive function via vagal control. We hypothesize that MT will improve cognitive function, interoception, and vagal control, resulting in enhanced HF self-care, compared to control participants., Methods: MYH-II is a mechanistic parallel phase II behavioral randomized controlled trial. We will enroll 176 English or Spanish-speaking patients with comorbid chronic HF and mild cognitive impairment. Participants will be randomized to either: (1) 8-week phone-delivered MT + Enhanced Usual Care (EUC), or (2) EUC alone. Participants will complete baseline, end-of-treatment (3 months), and follow-up (9 months) assessments. The primary outcome is cognitive function (NIH Toolbox Fluid Cognition Composite Score). Additional key outcomes include: interoception (heartbeat tracking task, Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness), HF self-care (Self-Care of Heart Failure Index v7.2), and vagal control (high-frequency heart rate variability)., Implications: If study hypotheses are confirmed, phone-based MT may be a key tool for improving HF self-care, and possibly clinical outcomes, in HF patients with comorbid cognitive impairment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health:, (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are one of the greatest causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Mindfulness training (MT) significantly reduces blood pressure in non-pregnant adults, yet MT has not been tested to reduce blood pressure in the prenatal period., Objectives: The objectives of this pilot randomized clinical trial were to test the feasibility, acceptability, and effects of MT on rates of HDP among pregnant participants at risk for HDP. Exploratory analyses examined effects of MT on antenatal blood pressure., Study Design: Participants were randomized to an 8-week phone-delivered MT intervention or usual care. Feasibility was defined by MT completion. Acceptability was defined by participants' satisfaction with the intervention. HDP outcomes were collected by medical chart review. Antenatal blood pressure values were extracted from medical records., Results: Twenty-nine participants were randomized to phone-based MT (N = 15) or usual care (N = 14). 73% participants completed >5 MT sessions, indicating that MT was feasible. One hundred percent of participants indicated they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the intervention, suggesting the intervention was acceptable. Rates of HDP were lower in the MT vs. usual care condition (9% vs. 29%; OR: 0.25, 95% C.I.: 0.02-2.65) although this did not reach statistical significance. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were significantly lower at follow up among those randomized to MT vs. usual care., Conclusions: Results from this pilot trial suggest that prenatal MT is feasible and acceptable and may be a useful adjunctive preventative treatment for HDP among at-risk pregnant patients., Clinicaltrials: gov identifier is NCT03679117., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Depressive symptoms are associated with age-related cognitive impairment, but the relative risk of specific subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) conferred by depressive symptoms is unclear. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the longitudinal association between baseline depressive symptoms and incident cases of MCI subtypes (amnestic vs. non-amnestic) and probable dementia (PD) (Alzheimer's disease, vascular, mixed) among postmenopausal women., Methods: Depressive symptoms were assessed at study baseline using an 8-item Burnam algorithm in 7043 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) and the WHIMS-Epidemiology of Cognitive Health Outcomes (WHIMS-ECHO) extension study. During the median 9.4-year follow-up interval, the presence of MCI and PD was classified by a central adjudication committee. Classification of participants by MCI subtype (amnestic single and multi-domain, non-amnestic single and multi-domain) was done algorithmically based on established criteria using data from annual cognitive testing., Results: At baseline, 557 women (7.9%) had clinically significant depressive symptoms based on Burnam algorithm cut-point of 0.06. Depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with an increased risk of incident amnestic MCI (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.32-2.78, p < 0.0001), but not non-amnestic MCI (HR = 1.39, 95% CI 0.91-2.14, p = 0.13) after controlling for demographic factors. This relationship between depressive symptoms and amnestic MCI remained consistent after controlling for lifestyle variables, cardiovascular risk factors, antidepressant use, and history of hormone therapy. There were no significant associations between depressive symptoms and incidence of PD., Conclusion: Depressive symptoms at baseline among postmenopausal older women are associated with higher incidence of amnestic MCI, suggesting that they may be an independent risk factor or part of the early prodrome of dementia., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Mindfulness training (MT) may promote medication adherence in outpatients with heart failure., Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the feasibility and acceptability of MT (primary outcomes) and explore effects on medication adherence, functional capacity, cognitive function, depression, and mindfulness skills (secondary outcomes)., Methods: In this pre/post-design study, participants received a 30-minute phone-delivered MT session weekly for 8 weeks., Results: We enrolled 33 outpatients (32% women; 69.7 White; mean age, 60.3 years). Retention was 100%, and session attendance was 91%. Overall, participants (97%) rated MT as enjoyable. Objectively assessed ( P &lt; .05) adherence decreased post intervention, whereas improvements were noted in functional capacity ( P = .05), mindfulness ( P &lt; .05), and cognitive function (reaching significance for Flanker scores)., Conclusions: Phone-delivered MT was feasible and acceptable. Whereas no improvements were noted in medication adherence and depression, cognitive function, functional capacity, and mindfulness levels increased post intervention, suggesting MT may have beneficial effects in outpatients with heart failure., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Research has suggested optimism is associated with healthy aging and exceptional longevity, but most studies were conducted among non-Hispanic White populations. We examined associations of optimism to longevity across racial and ethnic groups and assessed healthy lifestyle as a possible mediating pathway., Methods: Participants from the Women's Health Initiative (N = 159,255) completed a validated measure of optimism and provided other demographic and health data at baseline. We evaluated associations of optimism with increments in lifespan using accelerated failure time models, and with likelihood of exceptional longevity (survival to age ≥90) using Poisson regression models. Causal mediation analysis explored whether lifestyle-related factors mediated optimism-lifespan associations., Results: After covariate adjustment, the highest versus lowest optimism quartile was associated with 5.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.5, 6.4%) longer lifespan. Within racial and ethnic subgroups, these estimates were 5.1% (95%CI = 4.0, 6.1%) in non-Hispanic White, 7.6% (95%CI = 3.6, 11.7%) in Black, 5.4% (95%CI = -0.1, 11.2%) in Hispanic/Latina, and 1.5% (95% CI = -5.0, 8.5) in Asian women. A high proportion (53%) of the women achieved exceptional longevity. Participants in the highest versus lowest optimism quartile had greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity (e.g., full sample risk ratio = 1.1, 95%CI = 1.1, 1.1). Lifestyle mediated 24% of the optimism-lifespan association in the full sample, 25% in non-Hispanic White, 10% in Black, 24% in Hispanic/Latina, and 43% in Asian women., Conclusions: Higher optimism was associated with longer lifespan and a greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity overall and across racial and ethnic groups. The contribution of lifestyle to these associations was modest. Optimism may promote health and longevity in diverse racial and ethnic groups. Future research should investigate these associations in less long-lived populations., (© 2022 The American Geriatrics Society.)

'Mindfulness' has become a mainstream component of American culture and a successful business worth more than 1 billion dollars. Born out of Buddhist contemplative traditions that reached the West in the mid-1960s, secular mindfulness programs have spread both geographically (to the US and Europe) and socially (to healthcare, academia, politics, the military, and finance). The diffusion of mindfulness practice to domains that are culturally and socially so different from its original Buddhist context has had important consequences. This manuscript will examine some of these consequences as well as some challenges generated by the encounter between the American culture and Eastern millennial contemplative traditions. With the purpose of increasing awareness about these issues and to generate a debate within the mindfulness community, some suggestions on how to face such challenges are then offered to mindfulness researchers, instructors, and health care providers interested in alleviating the suffering of their patients using mindfulness meditation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Physical activity (PA) is an important determinant of cardiovascular health that may be affected the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we examined the immediate and long-term effects of the pandemic and lockdown on PA in patients with established cardiovascular risk., Methods: Objectively-measured daily PA data was obtained from cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) from 3453 U.S patients (mean and standard deviations [SD] age, 72.65 [13.24] years; 42% women). Adjusted mixed-effects models stratified by device type were used to compare daily PA from periods in 2020: pre-lockdown (March 1-14), lockdown (March 15 to May 8), and the reopening phase of the pandemic (May 9 to December 31) versus 2019. Patient characteristics and events associated with inactivity during lockdown and the proportion of patients who returned to their 2019 PA-level by the end of reopening phase (December 31, 2020) were examined., Results: Daily PA was significantly lower during the lockdown compared to the same period in 2019 (-15%; p < .0001), especially for pacemaker patients, adults aged <65, and patients more active prior to lockdown. Non-COVID hospitalization and ICD shock were similarly associated with low PA during lockdown (p = .0001). In the reopening phase of the pandemic, PA remained 14.4% lower in the overall sample and only 23% of patients returned to their 2019 PA level by the end of follow-up., Conclusions: In this large cohort of patients with CIEDs, PA was markedly lower during the lockdown and remained lower for months after restrictions were lifted. Strategies to maintain PA during a national emergency are urgently needed., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Mechanisms by which mind-body practice may improve exercise behaviors in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are unknown., Purpose: To identify predictors of exercise behaviors developed in response to a tai chi intervention., Methods: We conducted an exploratory analysis using data from a pilot study of tai chi for physically inactive patients with CHD. We used Latent Class Analysis to identify patterns of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (accelerometry-assessed, average min/week) over the 9-month study period. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between MVPA patterns and changes in exercise self-efficacy (Self-efficacy for exercise scale), social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), resilience (Brief Resilience Survey), and mindfulness (Five Facets of Mindfulness) at 6 months., Results: Data supported a 3-class model over time: 31% of participants were in class 1 (high and sustained MVPA, > 200 min/week), 21% were in class 2 (low and decreasing MVPA, < 100 > 50 min/week), and 48% in class 3 (low and stable MVPA, < 50 min/week). Higher mindfulness scores at 6 months were associated with a high and sustained MVPA pattern (b = 1.89, SE = 0.15, p = .01). Social support was inversely associated with low and decreasing MVPA (b = -0.72, SE = 0.34, p = .04). No associations were noted with the other factors., Conclusions: Improvements in mindfulness were associated with a distinct high and sustained MVPA pattern. Although only hypothesis-generating, these findings suggest that improvements in mindfulness skills could be a mechanism for the possible effect of Tai Chi in the promotion of MVPA., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Elena Salmoirago-Blotcher reports research grants from the NIH, the American Heart Association, Brown University, and the Norman Prince Neuroscience Institute. Shira Dunsiger and Dyuti Trivedi have no conflicts to report., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Stress management interventions (SMIs) targeting psychological stress and other psychosocial factors associated with heart failure (HF) morbidity and mortality are increasingly recommended for adults with HF. SMI content and delivery varies widely and meta-analyses are needed to synthesize current findings to identify gaps in the literature. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine the efficacy of SMIs for improving anxiety, depressive symptoms, exercise capacity, and disease-specific quality of life in adults with HF., Method: Comprehensive searches of 10 electronic bibliographic databases identified peer-reviewed, published, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SMIs for adults with HF., Results: Twenty-three RCTs were included (N = 2,294; Mage = 63.09 ± 7.27 years; 40% women, 56% White). Pooled effects indicated greater improvements in anxiety (d+ = .49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [.09-.89], k = 10), depressive symptoms (d+ = .39, 95% CI [.03, .75], k = 13), disease-specific quality of life (d+ = .82, 95% CI [.40, 1.24], k = 16), and exercise capacity (d+ = .57, 95% CI [.20, .95], k = 14) among SMI recipients relative to controls at the first postintervention assessment. The benefits were not maintained at follow-up. Participant characteristics (e.g., proportion women, HF severity), but not intervention type, moderated the findings., Conclusions: SMIs for adults with HF demonstrated short-term improvements in anxiety, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and exercise capacity. Future research sampling patients who are psychologically distressed with more thorough assessment of stress and longer follow-ups can elucidate the benefits of SMIs among adults with HF. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

People living with HIV (PLWH) often experience mental health concerns as well as difficulties with medication adherence; they also report barriers to receipt of health services. Telephone-delivered interventions can overcome some of these barriers. To obtain patients' perspectives on telephone-delivered behavioral health services, we conducted a qualitative study with patients who participated in one of two telephone-delivered interventions (mindfulness training, health coaching) in a research trial. Patients ( N  = 42; M age = 46 years, 50% female, 26% Black) participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews after completing the study. They identified several advantages (e.g., being able to schedule sessions more flexibly compared to in-person appointments, ease of developing rapport with interventionists) as well as occasional challenges of phone delivery (e.g., network connectivity). Overall, PLWH view telephone-delivery as a convenient and flexible method to engage in behavioral health interventions.

Background Anger and extreme stress can trigger potentially fatal cardiovascular events in susceptible people. Political elections, such as the 2016 US presidential election, are significant stressors. Whether they can trigger cardiac arrhythmias is unknown. Methods and Results In this retrospective case-crossover study, we linked cardiac device data, electronic health records, and historic voter registration records from 2436 patients with implanted cardiac devices. The incidence of arrhythmias during the election was compared with a control period with Poisson regression. We also tested for effect modification by demographics, comorbidities, political affiliation, and whether an individual's political affiliation was concordant with county-level election results. Overall, 2592 arrhythmic events occurred in 655 patients during the hazard period compared with 1533 events in 472 patients during the control period. There was a significant increase in the incidence of composite outcomes for any arrhythmia (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.77 [95% CI, 1.42-2.21]), supraventricular arrhythmia (IRR, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.36-2.43]), and ventricular arrhythmia (IRR, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.22-2.10]) during the election relative to the control period. There was also an increase in specific types of arrhythmia, including atrial fibrillation (IRR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.06-2.11]), supraventricular tachycardia (IRR, 3.7 [95% CI, 2.2-6.2]), nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (IRR, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.3-2.2]), and daily atrial fibrillation burden ( P <0.001). No significant interaction was found for sex, race/ethnicity, device type, age ≥65 years, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, political affiliation, or concordance between individual political affiliation and county-level election results. Conclusions There was a significant increase in cardiac arrhythmias during the 2016 US presidential election. These findings suggest that exposure to stressful sociopolitical events may trigger arrhythmogenesis in susceptible people.

Background The association between psychosocial stress and coronary heart disease (CHD) may be stronger in women than men and may differ across types of stressors. In this study, we assessed associations of psychosocial stressors, including job strain, stressful life events, and social strain with the incidence of CHD in women. Methods and Results We used longitudinal data from 80 825 WHI-OS (Women's Health Initiative Observational Study) participants with a mean age of 63.4 years (7.3 years) at baseline. Job strain was assessed through linkage of Standard Occupational Classification codes to the Occupational Information Network. Stressful life events and social strain were assessed via validated self-reported questionnaires. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate associations of each stressor with CHD separately and jointly. A total of 3841 (4.8%) women developed CHD during an average of 14.7 years of follow-up. After adjustment for age, other stressors, job tenure, and socioeconomic factors, high stressful life events score was associated with a 12% increased CHD risk, and high social strain was associated with a 9% increased CHD risk. Job strain was not independently associated with CHD risk, but we observed a statistically significant interaction between job strain and social strain ( P =0.04), such that among women with high social strain, passive job strain was associated with a 21% increased CHD risk. Conclusions High stressful life events and social strain were each associated with higher CHD risk. Job strain and social strain work synergistically to increase CHD risk.

Objectives: This study sought to explore feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of aerobic training (AT), mindfulness training (MT), or both (MT + AT) on cognitive function in older individuals at risk of dementia., Method: Participants were randomized to AT, MT, both, or usual care (UC). Z-scores of attention, verbal fluency, and episodic memory for non-demented adults (ZAVEN) were computed at baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and 6 months since baseline., Results: Of the 36 enrolled participants (12 M, 24 F, mean age = 70.1 years), 97% were retained in the study at 6 months. At EOT, MT had higher ZAVEN scores than UC (b = .43, P =.03) and AT (b = .26, P = .10), while no differences were seen with MT + AT. A similar pattern was observed at a 6 month follow-up (all P values = .10)., Discussion: MT may improve cognitive function in older individuals at risk of dementia. These preliminary findings need to be confirmed in a fully powered RCT.

Importance: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) may have unique risk factors in women. Most women have a history of pregnancy; common adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) appear to be associated with ASCVD, but prior studies have limitations., Objective: To assess whether APOs are associated with increased ASCVD risk independently of traditional risk factors., Design, Setting, and Participants: The APO history among participants in the Women's Health Initiative, a large multiethnic cohort of postmenopausal women, was assessed. The associations of 5 self-reported APOs (gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, low birth weight [ie, birth weight less than 2.49 kg], high birth weight [ie, birth weight greater than 4.08 kg], and preterm delivery by 3 weeks or more) with ASCVD were analyzed, adjusting for traditional ASCVD risk factors. Data were collected and analyzed in 2017., Exposures: APOs (gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, low birth weight, high birth weight, and preterm delivery)., Main Outcomes and Measures: Adjudicated ASCVD., Results: A total of 48 113 Women's Health Initiative participants responded to the survey; the median (interquartile range) age at time of enrollment was 60.0 (55.0-64.0) years. A total of 13 482 participants (28.8%) reported 1 or more APOs. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was more frequent in women who reported an APO compared with those without APOs (1028 of 13 482 [7.6%] vs 1758 of 30 522 [5.8%]). Each APO, analyzed separately, was significantly associated with ASCVD, and gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, low birth weight, and preterm delivery remained significant after adjustment for traditional ASCVD risk factors. When all APOs were analyzed together, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.15-1.40) and low birth weight (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.00-1.26) remained independently associated with ASCVD. All findings were materially unchanged by additional adjustment for parity, body mass index, and socioeconomic factors., Conclusions and Relevance: In this large multiethnic cohort of women, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and low birth weight were independently associated with ASCVD after adjustment for risk factors and other APOs.

Objectives: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes are standard of care for patients following a coronary event. While such exercise-based secondary prevention programme do offer benefits, they are used by less than 30% of eligible patients and attrition within these programmes is high. This project is a nested qualitative assessment of a pilot programme considering Tai Chi (TC) as an alternative to CR. We hypothesised that TC may overcome several key barriers to CR., Methods: A semistructured focus group agenda was used to assess three key domains of feasibility: (1) patients' experiences, (2) reasons/barriers for not having attended CR and (3) any improvements in physical activity and other secondary outcomes (quality of life, weight, sleep). A thematic analysis was used to better understand the key concepts., Results: This high-risk group of patients reported that they enjoyed TC exercise, and felt confident and safe doing it. TC practice was reported to support other types of physical activity allowing for a generalisation of positive effects., Discussion: This analysis is consistent with published reports of TC practice improving mood and psychological well-being. Qualitative methods allowed us to find emergent experiential reports of behaviour change factors found in established behaviour change theories., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: There is limited information on the relationship between modifiable lifestyle factors and Takotsubo syndrome (TS)., Objectives: To determine the association of physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and caffeinated coffee consumption with TS., Methods: This case-control study enrolled women with newly diagnosed TS (n = 45), women post-myocardial infarction (MI; n = 32), and healthy women volunteers (HC; n = 30). Information on physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and caffeinated coffee consumption was collected 1-month post-discharge for TS and MI, and 1-month post-enrollment for HC., Results: TS women reported a higher prevalence of lifetime smoking and cigarette packs/day, greater coffee consumption, and less physical activity than HC. Associations with cigarette and coffee use remained significant in adjusted models. Physical activity, smoking, and coffee consumption were similar in TS and MI women., Conclusions: Use of psychostimulants (caffeine and cigarettes) may play a role in TS pathophysiology. These findings need to be confirmed in larger, fully powered studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study explored whether telephone-delivered mindfulness training (MT) to promote medication adherence and reduce sexual risk behavior was feasible for and acceptable to people living with HIV. Participants (N = 42; 50% female; M age = 47.5 years) were randomized to MT or health coaching (HC). Pre- and post-intervention, and at 3-month follow-up, we assessed adherence to ART, sexual risk behavior, and hypothesized mediators; we also conducted individual interviews to obtain qualitative data. Results showed that 55% of patients assigned to MT completed ≥ 50% of the training calls compared with 86% of HC patients (p < .05). Most patients reported satisfaction with their intervention (MT = 88%, HC = 87%). Patients in MT and HC reported improvements in medication adherence, mindfulness, and sexual risk reduction as well as reductions in anxiety, depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and impulsivity over time; however, no between-groups differences were observed.

Objective: Mounting evidence suggests that higher optimism is associated with reduced risk of age-related morbidities and premature mortality. However, possible biological mechanisms underlying these associations remain understudied. One hypothesized mechanism is a slower rate of cellular aging, which in turn delays age-related declines in health., Methods: We used data from two large cohort studies to test the hypothesis that higher optimism is associated with longer leukocyte telomere length. With cross-sectional data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; n = 6417; mean age = 70 years) and the Women's Health Initiative (WHI; N = 3582; mean age = 63 years), we used linear regression models to examine the association of optimism with relative telomere length (assessed in leukocytes from saliva [HRS] or plasma [WHI]). Models adjusted for sociodemographics, depression, health status, and health behaviors., Results: Considering both optimism and telomere length as continuous variables, we found consistently null associations in both cohorts, regardless of which covariates were included in the models. In models adjusting for demographics, depression, comorbidities, and health behaviors, optimism was not associated with mean relative telomere length (HRS: β = -0.002, 95% confidence interval = -0.014 to 0.011; WHI: β = -0.004, 95% confidence interval = -0.017 to 0.009)., Conclusions: Findings do not support mean telomere length as a mechanism that explains observed relations of optimism with reduced risk of chronic disease in older adults. Future research is needed to evaluate other potential biological markers and pathways.

Background: Postmenopausal women represent the highest population-based burden of cardiovascular disease, including sudden cardiac death (SCD). Our understanding of the etiology and risk factors contributing to fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and SCD, particularly among women, is limited. This study examines the association between dietary magnesium intake and fatal CHD and SCD. Materials and Methods: We examined 153,569 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative recruited between 1993 and 1998. Magnesium intake at baseline was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, adjusting for energy via the residual method. Fatal CHD and SCD were identified over an average follow-up of 10.5 years. Results: For every standard deviation increase in magnesium intake, there was statistically significant risk reduction, after adjustment for confounders, of 7% for fatal CHD (hazard ratio [HR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.89-0.97), and 18% risk reduction for SCD (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.58-1.15) the latter of which did not reach statistical significance. In age-adjusted quartile analysis, women with the lowest magnesium intake (189 mg/day) had the greatest risk for fatal CHD (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.40-1.69) and SCD (HR 1.70, 95% CI 0.94-3.07). This association was attenuated in the fully adjusted model, with HRs of 1.19 (95% CI 1.06-1.34) for CHD and 1.24 (95% CI 0.58-2.65) for SCD for the lowest quartile of magnesium intake. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of a potential inverse association between dietary magnesium and fatal CHD and a trend of magnesium with SCD in postmenopausal women. Future studies should confirm this association and consider clinical trials to test whether magnesium supplementation could reduce fatal CHD in high-risk individuals.

Background: Individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) report psychological distress and poor physical functioning and may benefit from mindfulness training., Purpose: To examine the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on psychological and physiological measures in adults with CVD using meta-analysis., Methods: Comprehensive searches identified studies that (a) evaluated MBIs in adults with CVD or who had experienced a cardiac event, (b) included a comparison condition, and (c) assessed psychological (e.g., anxiety and depression) or physiological (e.g., systolic or diastolic blood pressure [BP]) outcomes. Independent raters coded methodological (e.g., design and quality) and intervention features (e.g., intervention content) as potential moderators. Weighted mean effect sizes (d+), using full information maximum likelihood estimation, were calculated., Results: Of the 1,507 records reviewed, 16 studies met inclusion criteria (N = 1,476; M age = 56 years; 40% women). Compared to controls, participants who received an MBI reported greater improvements in psychological outcomes (i.e., anxiety, depression, distress, and perceived stress: d+s = 0.49 to 0.64). MBI recipients also reduced their systolic (d+ = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.26, 1.51; k = 7) but not diastolic (d+ = 0.07, 95% CI = -0.47, 0.60; k = 6) BP relative to controls., Conclusions: MBIs demonstrated favorable effects on psychological and physiological outcomes among adults with CVD. Future research should investigate if such benefits lead to improvements in disease outcomes in studies with longer follow-ups., (© Society of Behavioral Medicine 2019. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Transcendental Meditation (TM) as a stress management technique may offer an adjunctive strategy to improve health and well-being in adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD)., Objectives: To examine the efficacy of TM to improve aspects of cardiovascular health and psychological functioning in adults with CVD., Method: Studies (a) evaluating TM in adults with hypertension or CVD and (b) assessing a physiological or psychological outcome were retrieved and meta-analyzed. Weighted mean effect sizes were computed to assess between- and within-group changes., Results: Nine studies met inclusion criteria (N = 851; mean age = 60 ± 8 years; 47% women). Between-group analyses revealed no differences between TM and control groups. However, within-group (i.e., pre- to post-intervention) analyses revealed reductions in systolic (d+ = 0.31) and diastolic (d+ = 0.53) blood pressure (BP) for the TM group. There were no changes in depressive symptoms for TM or control participants., Conclusions: TM was associated with within-group (but not between-groups) improvements in BP. Continued research using randomized controlled trials with larger samples, and measuring psychophysiological outcomes at longer follow-up intervals is recommended., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Women with history of pregnancy loss (PL) have higher burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life, yet it is unclear whether this is attributable to an association with established CVD risk factors (RFs). We examined whether PL is associated with CVD RFs and biomarkers in parous postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative, and whether the association between PL and CVD RFs accounted for the association between PL and incident CVD. Linear and logistic regressions were used to estimate associations between baseline history of PL and CVD RFs. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the associations between baseline history of PL and incident CVD after adjustment for baseline RFs. Of 79,121 women, 27,272 (35%) had experienced PL. History of PL was associated with higher body mass index (p < 0.0001), hypertension (p < 0.0001), diabetes (p = 0.003), depression (p < 0.0001), and lower income (p < 0.0001), physical activity (p = 0.01), poorer diet (p < 0.0001), smoking (p < 0.0001), and alcohol use (p < 0.0001). After adjustment for CVD RFs, PL was significantly associated with incident CVD over mean follow up of 16 years (hazard ratio 1.11, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.16). In conclusion, several CVD RFs are associated with PL, but they do not entirely account for the association between PL and incident CVD., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Psychological traits such as optimism and hostility affect coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, but mechanisms for this association are unclear. We hypothesized that optimism and hostility may affect CHD risk via changes in heart rate variability (HRV)., Methods: We conducted a longitudinal analysis using data from the Women's Health Initiative Myocardial Ischemia and Migraine Study. Participants underwent 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring 3 years after enrollment. Optimism (Life Orientation Test-Revised), cynical hostility (Cook-Medley), demographics, and coronary risk factors were assessed at baseline. HRV measures included standard deviation of average N-N intervals (SDNN); standard deviation of average N-N intervals for 5 minutes (SDANN); and average heart rate (HR). CHD was defined as the first occurrence of myocardial infarction, angina, coronary angioplasty, and bypass grafting. Linear and Cox regression models adjusted for CHD risk factors were used to examine, respectively, associations between optimism, hostility, and HRV and between HRV and CHD risk., Results: Final analyses included 2655 women. Although optimism was not associated with HRV, hostility was inversely associated with HRV 3 years later (SDANN: adjusted β = -0.54; 95% CI = -0.97 to -0.11; SDNN: -0.49; 95% CI = -0.93 to -0.05). HRV was inversely associated with CHD risk; for each 10-millisecond increase in SDNN or SDANN, there was a decrease in CHD risk of 9% (p = .023) and 12% (p = .006), respectively., Conclusions: HRV did not play a major role in explaining why more optimistic women seem to be somewhat protected from CHD risk. Although hostility was inversely associated with HRV, its role in explaining the association between hostility and CHD risk remains to be established.

Objective: To examine the relationship between blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV), brain volumes, and cognitive functioning in postmenopausal women with few modifiable cardiovascular risk factors., Methods: Study participants consisted of postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Memory MRI study (WHIMS-MRI) without cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or current smoking at baseline (1996-1999). BP readings were taken at baseline and each annual follow-up visit. BPV was defined as the SD associated with a participant's mean BP across visits and the SD associated with the participant's regression line with BP regressed across visits. Brain MRI scans were performed between 2004 and 2006. Cognitive functioning was assessed at baseline and annually thereafter with the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE) scoring until 2008. The final sample consisted of 558 women (mean age 69 years, median follow-up time [interquartile range] 8 [0.8] years)., Results: In adjusted models including mean systolic BP, women in the highest tertile of systolic BPV had lower hippocampal volumes and higher lesion volumes compared to women in the lowest tertile. No relationship between BPV and 3MSE scoring was detected., Conclusions: In postmenopausal women with few modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, greater visit-to-visit systolic BPV was associated with reductions in hippocampal volume and increases in lesion volumes at later life. These data add evidence to the emerging importance of BPV as a prognostic indicator even in the absence of documented cardiovascular risk factors., (© 2019 American Academy of Neurology.)