When you get angry, your heart beats faster, your blood vessels constrict, and your blood pressure rises. But can a few seconds or minutes of anger put our lives in danger? Can tantrums contribute to long-term cardiovascular disease? Find out what experts say about the effects of anger on the heart and blood vessels.
A team of researchers from Columbia University in New York found in a study that for 40 minutes after a person gets angry, blood vessels do not dilate as much as usual.
Outbursts of anger increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. 280 healthy adults participated in the study and the researchers divided them into four groups. Each group received an 8-minute task that had to generate a specific emotion:
ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT
- One group was asked to recall an event that caused anger;
- Another group was asked to recall something that caused anxiety;
- The third group was asked to read sentences designed to evoke feelings of sadness;
- The fourth, control group, was asked to keep their emotions neutral and count from 1 to 100 for 8 minutes.
Before and after the received task, the researchers inflated a blood pressure monitoring cuff on each participant’s forearm to restrict blood flow. When the cuff was deflated, the researchers measured how much the blood vessels dilated to allow blood to flow normally again.
Measurements were taken before the task and then at 3 minutes, 40 minutes, 70 minutes and 100 minutes afterwards. The researchers found that the blood vessels of the people in the group who felt angry did not dilate as much as those in the control group. It took 70 minutes for their blood vessels to become as dilated as those in the control group.
Anxiety and sadness did not affect the functioning of blood vessels. The participants in these two groups had the same results on the measurements as the control group.
The long-term effects of anger
The researchers speculate in the study that “repeated episodes of negative emotions” may cause long-term damage to blood vessels — either alone or in combination with other risk factors — and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“If you’re a person who gets angry all the time, your blood vessels suffer chronic damage. Over time, these chronic injuries can cause irreversible effects on vascular health and potentially increase the risk of coronary heart disease,” said Dr. Daichi Shimbo, cardiologist and lead author of the study in an NIH (National Institutes of Health) press release. of Health), institution that funded the study.
It is not the first time that tantrums have been linked to cardiovascular disease. A research published in European Heart Journal in 2014, which reviewed nine studies, showed that people are more at risk of a heart attack or stroke in the first two hours after an angry episode.
How real is the danger of a heart attack
Occasional tantrums won’t suddenly increase your long-term risk of heart attack, stroke or coronary heart disease, doctors say British Heart Foundation.
The study by Columbia University researchers looked at just one moment of anger and how it affected blood vessel function immediately afterward. He suggests that repeated bouts of anger could damage blood vessels over time. However, more research is needed to understand the long-term effects.
However, tantrums can be a sign of stress, and stress, in turn, can lead to unhealthy habits that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the effect could be indirect, say the specialists of the British Heart Foundation.
How tantrums hurt the heart
When you get angry, the human body activates the “fight or flight” response. When this happens, it releases stress hormones. Adrenaline and cortisol, mainly, produce a series of reactions on the cardiovascular system:
- It constricts the blood vessels. Stress hormones cause vasoconstriction, specifically a narrowing of blood vessels, especially small arteries and capillaries. As a result, blood flow is reduced;
- Blood pressure rises. The same hormones cause the heart to pump more blood in a short time;
- Heart rate increases. Fits of anger activate the sympathetic nervous system. It controls the body’s involuntary functions, including heart rate and blood pressure. The heart starts beating faster to increase blood flow to the muscles and essential organs. Through this mechanism, the body prepares for an intense physical reaction: either fight or flight.
According to some theories, intense or frequent tantrums cause chronic inflammation of the blood vessel walls. Over time, this inflammation leads to the formation of deposits of fat and other substances (plaques) that increase the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
The information presented in this article is not a substitute for medical advice. Ask your doctor for advice on diagnosis and treatment.
Absolutely! Let’s dive into this interesting study on how anger doesn’t just affect our mood—it can give your cardiovascular system a right kicking too!
—
When you get angry, your heart beats faster, your blood vessels constrict, and your blood pressure rises. It’s like your body is throwing itself an uninvited rave. But can a few seconds or minutes of anger really put our lives in danger? If your inner Hulk is too frequent a visitor, is cardiovascular disease waiting in the wings with a big banner saying, “I told you so”? Let’s find out what the brainy folks at Columbia University have to say about the effects of anger on our precious hearts and veins.
A team of researchers from Columbia University in New York found in a study that for a staggering 40 minutes after someone throws a fit, their blood vessels go on holiday and don’t dilate as much as usual. Imagine trying to have a party where all the guests are lined up outside because they forgot their ID. You kick off your shoes and hop around waiting for them to get inside, but no one can come in until they’re prepared to play nice!
And if you thought that was it, buckle your seatbelts—outbursts of anger can increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke! According to a much-discussed study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, 280 healthy adults participated in the study and were smartly divided into four groups. It’s good to have group therapy sorted, right? Each group was tasked with recalling specific emotions for just 8 minutes—sounds like therapy, but with less closure and more panic:
- One group was asked to recall an event that caused anger;
- Another group, bless their hearts, was tasked with channeling anxiety;
- The third group was told to read sad sentences—almost like they’re trying to win an Oscar;
- And the last group? They counted from 1 to 100, which somehow sounds like their social life post-2020!
Now, picture this: before and after these emotional tasks, researchers inflated a blood pressure monitoring cuff on each participant’s forearm. When they deflated it—voilà! A measure of how well blood could flow through vessels again. Here’s the kicker: those overthinkers in the anger group found it hard to get back to normal. Their blood vessels took 70 minutes to relax and expand like a rubber band after being stretched too far—your imagination is good enough; you can picture that level of tension!
Interestingly, anxiety and sadness weren’t quite as menacing. People in those groups did just fine, like a calm river undisturbed by a storm. They flowed freely, unlike the angry folk who were still knitting their arteries together for a good portion of the evening.
The long-term effects of anger
Now, hold on to your blood pressure meds because here comes the plot twist. The researchers suggest that “repeated episodes of negative emotions” could cause long-term damage to our fashionable blood vessels. That’s right, frequent anger might be like wearing tight jeans every day—it seems fine until you realize it’s causing lasting damage!
Dr. Daichi Shimbo, a cardiologist and the lead author, warns us: “If you’re a person who gets angry all the time, your blood vessels suffer chronic damage.” So, if you find yourself shouting at the TV more passionately than a football fan in a penalty shootout, you might just be courting trouble with your ticker and those lovely blood vessels.
It’s not a new revelation that tantrums have been linked to cardiovascular diseases. Research highlighted in the European Heart Journal back in 2014 showed that heart attack risks soar in the first two hours post-anxiety—yep, your heart’s sending smoke signals while you’re shouting at that one friend who talks incessantly during movies.
How real is the danger of a heart attack?
But don’t go throwing away all the sharp objects in your house just yet! Occasional tantrums won’t jack up your long-term risk of heart attack or stroke—thank goodness! The British Heart Foundation reassures us that while that moment of pure rage is something to monitor closely, it’s repeated episodes over time that might lead to a bigger heart drama.
And in case you’re questioning your ability to manage emotions, tantrums could signal underlying stress, which, you guessed it, can lead to unhealthy habits. So those donuts don’t help, do they? They only magnify the problem while you’re still figuring out how to handle the “raging bull” inside of you.
How tantrums hurt the heart
When anger flares, voila—your body decides it’s time for a “fight or flight” response. It releases some stress hormones—adrenaline and cortisol—to send your cardiovascular system into overdrive. Here are a few of the delightful little catastrophes that happen next:
- It constricts the blood vessels. Vasoconstriction is a fancy term that makes your small arteries and capillaries feel like they’ve been stuffed into a too-tight suit! Blood flow gets a stern talking-to and slows down.
- Blood pressure rises. The heart is like, “Let’s pump faster!” It’s a cardio workout no one signed up for.
- Heart rate increases. The body’s getting ready for a game of dodgeball! It prepares for a physical reaction: run or throw punches. And who could forget those fabulous involuntary race track laps of the heart?
Taking deep breaths and relaxing is always a good strategy because frequent dramatic outbursts can spark inflammation in blood vessel walls. Over time, this can create those pesky fat deposits known as plaques that threaten the quality of your life.
So, before you launch into another angry monologue about how the world’s out to get you, breathe! Your heart will thank you—after all, it’s the only one you’ve got and it’s going to need all the TLC it can get!
—
And there you have it! A bit cheeky, a bit insightful, just like life itself. Don’t let those pesky emotions run the show; after all, moderation is key—even for anger!
