The group of men with this risk factor were divide into two groups. One group were generally non-compliant. They did visit their doctors regularly and were given solid advice about reducing their risk of heart attack: lose weight, don’t smoke, exercise and improve their diet. This group generally never followed doctors advice.
Another group were made up of compliant patients. They also visited their doctors regularly and were given solid advice about reducing their risk of heart attack: lose weight, don’t smoke, exercise and improve their diet. Because this group was committed and compliant, they were put on a specialized program to reduce specific heart attack risks such as high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.
Researchers were stunned to discover that the non-compliant group not only had fewer deaths overall but even fewer from heart attacks than the compliant, committed group. The scientific data driven conclusions were evasive. However, there emerged this probability: health risk increased in those who constantly worried about their heart health.
So, if you're a worrier, here's the advice to follow: "For people who worry a lot, ask yourself: ‘Can I do something about this situation?’ If the answer is yes, then there’s no need to worry. Act. If the answer is no, again worrying is useless. Relax and accept the situation." - Thubten Chodron