It is well known that anger is a nasty fault that heats up tempers and creates an unpleasant atmosphere for those around the person who loses his temper. But did you know that anger could also have a impact on cardiovascular health of an individual? This is what a recent American study suggests, according to which a frequent angry state could alter the vascular functioning of a healthy adult. Focus on the conclusions of this work.
Anger: what effects on cardiovascular health?
There are strong emotions capable of causing myocardial dysfunction. But until now, few scientific studies have looked into the harm of anger. This is now done with a recent American study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Supported by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), this randomized study enrolled:
- 280 healthy adults.
- Ages 18 to 73.
- Not suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
- No history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia or smoking.
- Not presenting risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
- Without drug treatment.
The objective of this study? Estimate the acute effects of provoked anger, of provoked anxiety and provoked sadness, in comparison with a neutral emotion. To do this, the scientists divided the participants into different groups who had to carry out a task supposed to arouse the corresponding emotion:
- An “anger” group: the members of this group had to talk for 8 minutes about personal experiences that had aroused a feeling of anger in them.
- An “anxiety” group: members of this group had to talk for 8 minutes about personal experiences that had aroused feelings of anxiety in them.
- A “sadness” group: the members of this group had to read aloud for 8 minutes statements arousing sadness.
- A “control” group: the members of this group had to count out loud for 8 minutes.
To be able to make comparisons, scientists measured changes in blood flow in the blood vessels of the dominant arm of each participant. This measurement was carried out before and after the experiment (immediately after, then 3, 40, 70 and 100 minutes after the experiment).
Anger causes less dilation of the vessels
After analyzing the data, the researchers were able to observe:
- A significant reduction in the dilation capacity of blood vessels immediately after completing the exercise in participants in the “anger” group compared to the control group.
- Maintaining this significant reduction for up to 40 minutes after exercise before tapering off.
- The lack of impact of exercise on the dilation capacity of blood vessels of people in the “anxiety” and “sadness” groups.
Thus, according to the results of this study, it would seem that the physiological state induced by the state of anger impairs the ability of blood vessels to open. However, according to previously conducted studies, this reduced dilation of blood vessels could be the cause of the development of atherosclerosis, increasing the long-term risk of myocardial infarction or stroke.
According to the head of this study, Frequent angry states can lead to chronic damage at the level of blood vessels which can ultimately cause irreversible effects on the vascular health of the individual.
Research to deepen
While the authors of this study agree that the link between the acute transient effects of anger and long-term cardiovascular risk remains to be clarified, they are convinced that the repetition of vascular damage over time can generate an increased risk of cardiovascular illnesses. In the meantime, it may be interesting to learn to control your outbursts of anger through physical activity sessions, breathing exercises or even cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Next step for researchers? Precisely identify the underlying mechanisms involved in this process and extend the work to a panel of older adult volunteers with health problems and following drug treatment. To be continued!
Déborah L., Doctor in Pharmacy
Sources
– Cardiovascular risk: when anger heats the heart. www.lequotidiendumedecin.fr. Accessed May 19, 2024.
– Translational Research of the Acute Effects of Negative Emotions on Vascular Endothelial Health: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Study. www.ahajournals.org. Accessed May 19, 2024.
