A new study has found that being happy and having a positive outlook on life may help to prevent heart disease.

According to Reuters, researchers in Canada followed 1,739 men and women over a 10 year period. Trained nurses measured the participants heart disease risk along with their negative emotions such as depression, hostility and anxiety and their positive emotions such as joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm and contentment.

The researchers then ranked their positive emotions, known as "positive affect," across five levels ranging from "none" to "extreme" and found that for each rank the risk of heart disease decreased by 22 percent.

Lead researcher Karina Davidson of Columbia University Medical Center said the findings suggest that enhancing peoples’ positive emotions could help prevent heart disease. She added that more clinical trials are needed to support her study’s results.

"We also found that if someone who was usually positive had some depressive symptoms at the time of the survey, this did not affect their overall lower risk of heart disease," she said.

Researchers explained the possible link between happiness and increased heart health by pointing out that happier people have longer periods of rest or relaxation and are able to quickly recover from stressful situations.