Health
Anger can increase heart attack risk, study finds: ‘Chronic insult to arteries’
Seeing red could spike your heart disease risk, experts are warning.
Feeling angry for as little as eight minutes a day could raise your chances of experiencing a cardiac event, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA).
The study included 280 healthy young adults with no history of heart disease, stroke, serious mental health conditions or other chronic illnesses, according to an AHA press release.
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The participants first spent 30 minutes in a relaxed state, while doctors gauged their blood pressure, blood vessel health and other cardiac measurements.
Next, the participants were randomly assigned eight-minute tasks, while the heart-related measurements were tracked.
Feeling angry for as little as eight minutes a day could raise your chances of experiencing a cardiac event, according to a new study. (iStock)
One group was told to think about anger-inducing experiences.
A second group was asked to recall memories that triggered anxiety.
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A third group was tasked with reading passages that made them feel sad — and the final group was told to simply count out loud to achieve a neutral mindset.
Among those who were told to recall anger-inducing memories, their blood vessel dilation was reduced by 50% within 40 minutes of the task — which put them at a greater risk of heart attack or stroke.
The restricted dilation was temporary, but experts expressed concern that a longer duration of anger could have more adverse effects.
“Anger likely increases cortisol levels, which, in turn, raises blood pressure and could likely decrease vascular dilation,” an expert warned. (iStock)
“We showed that if you get angry once, it impairs your ability to dilate,” said lead study author Dr. Daichi Shimbo, a cardiologist and co-director of the hypertension center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, in the release.
“But what if you get angry 10,000 times over a lifetime? This chronic insult to your arteries may eventually lead to permanent damage.”
Anxiety and sadness did not have this same effect.
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Elizabeth Sharp, M.D., founder and director of Health Meets Wellness in New York, New York, was not involved in the study, but said the results were “not particularly surprising.”
“Anger likely increases cortisol levels, which, in turn, raises blood pressure and could likely decrease vascular dilation,” she told Fox News Digital.
“This study showed that anger can cause acute, measurable changes in blood vessel function, which could be detrimental to cardiovascular health in the long run,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“It’s a well-known adage that ‘stress is a killer,’ and there are numerous physiological explanations for this,” she went on.
“However, I would argue that it’s more about chronic stress, or that a stress response might reveal an underlying condition, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), which was already present.”
“There are three major ways to deal with anger: express it, suppress it or calm it.”
Dr. Jim Liu, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, also offered external input on the study.
“Psychosocial factors play an important role in cardiovascular disease, because the body’s nervous system provides a lot of input in regulating the heart and blood vessels,” he told Fox News Digital.
“This study showed that anger can cause acute, measurable changes in blood vessel function, which could be detrimental to cardiovascular health in the long run.”
People can reduce their heart attack risk by finding healthy ways to manage anger, experts say. (iStock)
The findings serve as a reminder that there are many factors that influence heart health, Liu noted.
“We all know about the traditional risk factors, such as smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure — and with this study, perhaps there should also be an increased emphasis on mental health and psychosocial factors.”
7 smart strategies to cope with anger
People can reduce their heart attack risk by finding healthy ways to manage anger, experts say.
“There are three major ways to deal with anger — express it, suppress it or calm it,” said Dr. Gary Small, chair of the psychiatry department at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
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“When we suppress our anger, we hold it in and force ourselves to focus on something — often positive thoughts — to distract us,” he went on.
“A potential pitfall of anger suppression is that it festers and can elevate blood pressure and lead to depression.”
Research has shown that daily meditation will improve mood and cognitive function, according to a cardiologist. (iStock)
Dr. Small shared the following seven strategies to help people cope with anger.
1. Recognize your triggers
Try to develop an awareness of what triggers angry feelings, Small advised.
“For some people, being ignored ticks them off, while others have difficulty accepting criticism,” he told Fox News Digital.
“When you identify what sets you off, you will be better equipped to gain control of your anger.”
2. Learn to relax
Research has shown that daily meditation will improve mood and cognitive function, according to Small.
“This strategy involves regulating our behavior when we are angry by controlling our internal physiological responses like muscle tension and breathing,” the doctor said.
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“Recognizing your triggers gives you a heads-up of when to calm yourself and relax through deep, slow breathing, conjuring up serene mental imagery, and meditation.”
3. Think twice before erupting
“Because of the negative health and social effects of uncontrolled expressions of rage, try to avoid outbursts,” Small advised.
“Rather than exploding, take a pause and recall what triggered your aggression.”
4. Get physical
Engaging in regular physical exercise — maybe even hitting a punching bag at the gym — can help reduce anger-induced stress, Small said.
Engaging in regular physical exercise can help reduce anger-induced stress, a doctor said. (iStock)
5. Alter your thinking
“If you find yourself in a fit of rage, you may not be thinking clearly, because your brain’s amygdala (emotional control center) overtakes its frontal lobe (reasoning center),” Small said.
Attempt to replace your angry thoughts with rational ones, the doctor suggested.
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“Also keep in mind that your anger is not going to solve the problem or frustration at hand,” he added.
6. Learn to communicate your needs
Taking an anger management class can help those who tend to “fly off the handle,” Small said, while assertiveness training can help people who suppress their anger learn to communicate their needs to others.
Taking an anger management class can help those who tend to “fly off the handle,” a cardiologist said. (iStock)
7. Consider professional help
“Anger issues may reflect other underlying mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression,” Small noted.
Seeing a mental health professional can help people identify underlying problems and cope with anger in a more constructive way.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for additional comment on their findings.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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