"Don't worry, be happy"--may be a first line therapy in cardiovascular diseases?

Cardiovascular diseases represent the most frequent type of pathology nowadays. One can consider that their high prevalence is generated by an unhealthy living style, by the increasing prevalence of all kind of metabolic abnormalities, by smoking and other bad habits, but we must not forget the role of stress. The present paper highlights the fact that a pathophysiological link between stress, adverse affect and poor quality of sleep and cardiovascular diseases is represented by the sympathetic overdrive. As opposite, positive affect can offer a significant protection against pro-atherogenic effects that are generating a significant increase of the prevalence and severity of cardiovascular diseases. Finally, the present paper underlines the deleterious cardiovascular effects of antidepressive and antipsychotic drugs, so that the final conclusion is: "Don't worry, be happy" and have positive thoughts for a healthier future.