The Impact of Gratitude on Biology and Behavior in Persons With Heart Disease

Overall, the investigators aim to recruit 150 subjects during their hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). At two weeks post-ACS, the investigators will assess levels of gratitude and optimism, draw blood for baseline levels of biomarkers, gather baseline information about health behaviors critical to cardiac health, and obtain baseline measures of symptoms and function. Finally, the investigators will repeat assessments of biomarkers, behavior, and function at 6 months to allow us to assess the impact of gratitude and optimism on these outcomes; the investigators will also have an objective measure of physical activity via accelerometer (step counter) at 6 months. Specific Aim #1: To prospectively assess the association between gratitude/optimism 2 weeks after ACS and improvement in biological markers of cardiac health at 6 months post-ACS. Hypothesis: Higher levels of gratitude/optimism at 2 weeks will be associated with greater reductions in levels of biomarkers associated with negative heart health between 2 weeks and 6 months. Specific Aim #2 (\*primary aim\*): To assess the association between gratitude/optimism 2 weeks after ACS and subsequent adherence to health behaviors known to improve post-ACS prognosis at 6 months. Hypothesis: Higher levels of gratitude/optimism at 2 weeks will be associated with greater amounts of physical activity (measured by accelerometer) at 6 months (primary study outcome measure), and greater improvements in self-reported adherence to health behaviors (activity, diet, and medication) between 2 weeks and 6 months. Specific Aim #3: To assess the association between gratitude/optimism at 2 weeks and non-elective cardiac rehospitalizations (and other clinical outcomes) at 6 months. Hypothesis: Higher levels of gratitude/optimism at 2 weeks will be associated with greater improvements in depression, health-related quality of life, function, cardiac symptoms, and possibly readmissions, between 2 weeks and 6 months.