IN a new study, researchers warned that anger is bad for the heart and the brain because regularly getting angry may increase an individual’s risk of heart disease and stroke.
Researchers said getting briefly angry—but not other emotions such as sadness or anxiety—can change the functioning of blood vessels, which might make heart attacks and strokes more likely.
The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that there is a relationship between an acute episode of anger and an increased risk of heart attack.
It suggests that even short bouts of anger could worsen cardiovascular health and may trigger heart diseases, heart attacks, and strokes. Heart attacks and strokes typically occur when the blood flow to the heart or brain is blocked.
The study was conducted by researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Centre, Yale School of Medicine, St. John’s University in New York, and other institutions. They invited 280 healthy adults and randomised them into four groups that recalled events that made them angry, sad, or anxious.
A control group also repeatedly counted out loud from 1 to 100 for 8 minutes and maintained a neutral emotional state.
The study’s lead author, Professor Daichi Shimbo at the Columbia University, said: “We saw that evoking an angered state led to blood vessel dysfunction, though we don’t yet understand what may cause these changes.
“This suggests that intense emotions could contribute to cardiac events in people who already have poor health. Repeated episodes of a negative emotion may affect cardiovascular physiology over time, causing irreversible damage.”
“Investigation into the underlying links between anger and blood vessel dysfunction may help identify effective intervention targets for people at increased risk of cardiovascular events.”
When angry, the body is flooded with stress hormones. These hormones result in detectable physiological changes like a rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure. How well the blood vessels respond to these changes can have a strong effect on the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Experts say mindfulness practice and meditation could help manage anger responses and mitigate the negative health risks of frequent anger episodes.
Studies have shown that mental well-being can positively or negatively affect a person’s health and risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
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