Your personality type could help contribute to your heart health.

People who have tendencies toward depression or negativity, and experience anxiety, stress, anger, and loneliness — what's called a “Type D” personality — are three times more likely to be at risk for heart disease than their cheery neighbors. Although about 20 percent of people fall into this category, they make up half of the total patient population that is being treated for heart problems.

The main reason is the high levels of stress these individuals endure. Unlike people with Type A personalities, who are likely to make their complaints known, Type D people keep their emotions bottled up and are often loners who prefer to keep to themselves. They generally do not have an emotional support system of friends to help them relieve stress through simple conversations.

All is not lost, however, if Type D people can learn to remove certain stresses from their lives. Stress reduction is just another lifestyle modification that improves heart health.