Pharmaceutical Reviews (Associate Editor) The Heart Foundation is spreading this message in conjunction with the promotion of My Heart MyLife, a free online peer support community for persons with cardiovascular illness, on Friday, September 29, World Heart Day. Research, according to Healthcare Programs Manager Natalie Raffoul, has shown that patients may experience a sense of loneliness following a diagnosis of heart illness or a heart-related event.” In our own research, most patients expressed a strong desire to feel a sense of belonging to a community that understood their unique journeys,” Ms. Raffoul said. As individuals adjust to a series of abrupt changes in their health, research indicates that persons with cardiovascular disease are more prone to experience anxiety and sadness. Supporting positive mental health is important because it reduces the risk of a second heart attack for people who have this mental health burden.