Lead author Hermann Nabi, from the Inserm medical research institute in Villejuif, France, said: "We found that the association we observed between an individual's perception of the impact of stress on their health and their risk of a heart attack was independent of biological factors, unhealthy behaviours and other psychological factors.
"One of the important messages from our findings is that people's perceptions about the impact of stress on their health are likely to be correct."
