Can Reiki Prevent Heart Attacks?

There are an estimated 100 million cardiac patients in India. The numbers have seen an alarming rise, as opposed to falling numbers in Europe and the USA. WHO estimates that by 2020 close to 60 percent of cardiac patients worldwide will be Indian. As per the WHO findings, not just men, but women and children are at risk too.

While it is commonly known that risk factors of cardiovascular disease include lack of exercise, poor diet, and smoking, there are many studies today, linking stress, anxiety, and other mental and emotional factors significantly affect your cardiovascular health. Numerous studies have also demonstrated that job dissatisfaction can predict heart attacks.

For those who are already affected by heart problems, Reiki is a boon and not only reduces their BP, but also helps them become a calmer and happier person.

However, this article is for those who are healthy at the moment, but have a chance of being affect by heart disease later in life. Can Reiki help in keeping you healthy and strong for a longer period of time? Lets find out.

A growing body of compelling scientific evidence is demonstrating the link between mental and emotional attitudes, physiological health and long-term well-being.

• A Harvard Medical School Study of 1,623 heart attack survivors found that when subjects became angry during emotional conflicts, their risk of subsequent heart attacks was more than double that of those that remained calm.
M. Mittleman et al. Circulation. 1995; 92(7)
• Men who complain of high anxiety are up to six times more likely than calmer men to suffer sudden cardiac death.
I. Kawachi et al. Circulation. 1994; 89(5)
• An international study of 2,829 people between the ages of 55 and 85 found that individuals who reported the highest levels of personal "mastery" – feelings of control over life events – had a nearly 60% lower risk of death compared with those who felt relatively helpless in the face of life’s challenges.
B. Penninx et al. Am J Epidemiol. 1997; 146(6)
• According to a Mayo Clinic study of individuals with heart disease, psychological stress was the strongest predictor of future cardiac events, such as cardiac death, cardiac arrest and heart attacks.
T. Allison et al. Mayo Clin Proc. 1995; 70(8)
• Three 10-year studies concluded that emotional stress was more predictive of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease than smoking; people who were unable to effectively manage their stress had a 40% higher death rate than non-stressed individuals.
H. Eysenck. Br J Med Psychol. 1988; 61(Pt 1)
• A recent study of heart attack survivors showed that patients’ emotional state and relationships in the period after myocardial infarction are as important as the disease severity in determining their prognosis.
S. Thomas et al. Am J Crit Care. 1997; 6(2)

As is clearly evident from these studies, your mental and emotional health significantly affects your health and life-span. The studies list anger, anxiety, psychological and emotional stress, and relationship problems as factors that directly affect the health of our hearts.

In each of these aspects, Reiki makes a drastic difference to our lives. Reiki significantly reduces and often completely eliminates anger from our lives. Several scientific studies have shown a marked reduction in stress and anxiety with Reiki treatment. Making Reiki a part of our lives ensures that stress and anxiety are almost non-existent. Reiki also helps resolve emotional issues and relationship problems. Click here to read more on how Reiki helps improve relationships.

As more and more studies highlight the role of emotions in our wellbeing, obviously, an improvement in these aspects will lead to a healthier life.

Related Article:
Reiki for better health

Source for heart-related data:
http://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart.html