Heart attack risk 8.5 times higher when having intense angry episodes
MANILA, Philippines – Having trouble controlling your temper? Here’s another reason why you should practice anger management more often.
A recent study published in The European Heart Journal Acute Cardiovascular Care showed that people who are having an intense episode of anger are 8.5 times more likely to have a heart attack in just after two hours. Moreover, the study says that people who stay angry or anxious for extended periods of time are more likely to have difficulty coping with smaller aggravations.
In conducting the study, researchers at the University of Sydney and Royal North Shore Hospital distributed questionnaires to 313 people who were being treated in a hospital for myocardial infarction (MI). The questions include the level of anger they experienced in the last 48 hours prior to their MI based on a number scale (1 being calm to 7 being the enraged, out of control, throwing objects, hurting yourself or others).
Seven people in the study who had MI within two hours reported that they had an anger level greater than five. Findings confirm that episodes of intense anger, defined as being "very angry, body tense, clenching fists or teeth" (within two hours) are associated with increased relative risk for acute coronary occlusion.
Although the study was in a small scale, it still is of great significance because it provides experts with information about what emotional factors could trigger a heart attack. For example, stress caused by extreme emotion may intensify heart rate and blood pressure, blood vessel constriction, a plaque rupture, and clotting which could eventually lead to a heart attack.
