Love Send Affection And Save Your Heart

By contacting loved ones three times a week with messages of affection and love, Arizona State University study participants lowered the kind of cholesterol that clogs arteries by over eleven points in a month. To compare, most folks receive the same kinds of results with medication. The study also found a correlation between a woman's resting heart rate and receiving a hug from her romantic partner: the more hugs she received, the lower her resting heart rate was. And both the men and the women in the study had lower resting heart rates as well as lower blood pressure during a stressful event, if before the event they either held hands or hugged their partner. Not that any of us needed a reason to be more affectionate with the person we're dating, of course. But for those of you with cholesterol issues, sending a quick note on Facebook or sending your partner a romantic text message three times a week seems a minor output in comparison to the life-long heart benefits. REFERENCE: Floyd, Kory et al. "Human Affection Exchange: XIV. Relational Affection Predicts Resting Heart Rate and Free Cortisol Secretion During Acute Stress." Behavioral Medicine 32, no. 4 (Winter 2007): 151-156.