An Examination of the Buffering Effect of Positive Emotions on Cardiovascular Reactivity and Recovery Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes diseases affecting the heart, brain, and blood vessels and is a global health concern. CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide, with more than 17.5 million deaths attributed to cardiovascular diseases in 2012 (World Health Organization, 2015). There are a number of factors that increase the risk of developing CVD, including demographic, genetic, behavioral, and psychological risk factors. Demographic risk factors include, age, gender, ethnicity, and low socioeconomic status (SES) (World Health Organization, 2011; Yusuf, Reddy, Ounpuu, & Anand, 2001a; 2001b). As people age, our risk for developing CVD increases. In addition, men are at an increased risk of developing CVD compared to premenopausal women. However, after menopause, the risk of developing CVD is relatively similar for men and women (World Health Organization, 2011). In regards to ethnicity, African Americans and Hispanics have an elevated risk profile for developing CVD in comparison to Caucasians (Yusuf et al., 2001a; Yusuf et al., 2001b). Behavioral risk factors are generally modifiable and include tobacco use, consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol, unhealthy diet, and low physical activity (World Health Organization, 2011). It is important to note that demographic and behavioral risk factors are strongly associated. For example, individuals living in low SES areas have limited opportunities to engage in healthy eating in comparison to those living in high SES areas (World Health Organization, 2011). Genetic risk factors for developing CVD include a family history of CVD, high cholesterol, hypertension, and/or diabetes (Yusuf et al., 2001a). Similar to behavioral risk factors, psychological risk factors such as, stress, depression, and anxiety represent modifiable risk factors and are characterized by a general pattern of