Could anger increase risk for heart disease?
In a study exploring the connection between emotions and cardiovascular health, researchers investigated how provoked anger, and to a lesser extent, anxiety and sadness, impact endothelial cell health.
The study involved 280 apparently healthy adults who were randomized to engage in tasks that evoked anger, sadness, anxiety or neutral emotions for eight minutes. The health of the endothelium, a vital component of cardiovascular function, was assessed before and after these tasks by measuring endothelium-dependent vasodilation and levels of certain cell markers indicative of endothelial and progenitor cell status.
The findings revealed that participants who recalled anger showed a significant impairment in endothelium-dependent vasodilation compared to those in the neutral condition, indicating a detrimental effect of anger on cardiovascular health. While the impact of anxiety on endothelial health approached significance, sadness did not significantly affect endothelial function. The study underscores the acute negative effects of specific emotional states, particularly anger, on cardiovascular health, highlighting a potential mechanism through which emotions can influence heart disease risk.
Read more: Journal of American Heart Association
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