Negative thinking and feelings of personal uselessness may cause thickening of neck arteries in healthy women, which can lead to an increase in the risk of stroke, according to a new study.

Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association recently published the study, which looked at 559 women at an average age of 50 who did not show symptoms of cardiovascular disease.

The women were asked to complete two questionnaires to assess their feelings toward the future and to measure any depressive symptoms they might have. The thickness of arteries in their necks was also tested using ultrasound.

The results showed a clear and conclusive link between their feelings of hopelessness and arterial thickness, even after they were adjusted to account for age, ethnicity and various other factors.

"These findings suggest that women who experience feelings of hopelessness may have greater risk for future heart disease and stroke," said Dr Susan A. Everson-Rose, lead investigator of the study. "In fact, our data indicate that hopelessness may be uniquely related to cardiovascular disease risk. We did not see similar relations when looking at global depressive symptoms."

Women with these feelings may want to consider supplementing their diets with St. John’s Wort or the amino acid 5-HTP, both of which may help cope with their sense of hopelessness. To address cardiovascular risk, omega-3 fatty acids may help neutralize free radicals in the blood, and red yeast rice may help reduce high blood pressure.