How can happiness help prevent heart disease?

If you often find yourself celebrating the good things in life with an enthusiastic fist bump or a happy high five, then score one for your heart.

Research shows that -- much like a healthy diet and regular exercise -- a positive, joyful, enthusiastic disposition may help keep your heart free of disease.

In a 10-year study, people who scored high in emotions like joy, enthusiasm and contentment had a much lower incidence of coronary heart disease compared with folks who experienced those good feelings less frequently. More research is needed to confirm the link between happiness and a healthier heart, but other research has already done a pretty good job proving the other side of the coin -- that negative emotions like anger, hostility and depression can increase the risk of heart disease.

In addition to setting the stage for a healthier heart, keeping your sunny side up may help your health in myriad other ways as well, according to similar studies. Happiness can boost your immune system, nip your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure and help you live longer in general. And who doesn't want to feel happy, anyway? Sure makes life easier.

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