Even brief moments of provoked anger tied to risk of CVD and stroke: Study

A recent study uncovered a concerning link between provoked anger and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease events. This study was published in a recent issue of Journal of the American Heart Association and highlight the acute effects of provoked anger, anxiety and sadness on endothelial cell health which is a key factor in cardiovascular well-being.

The study involved a total of 280 apparently healthy adult participants who were randomized into different conditions. These conditions included an 8-minute anger recall task, a depressed mood recall task, an anxiety recall task or an emotionally neutral condition. Pre- and post-assessments were conducted to measure various aspects of endothelial health, like the endothelium-dependent vasodilation, circulating endothelial cell-derived microparticles and circulating bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells.

The findings suggest that the participants who underwent the anger recall task expressed a significant decrease in endothelium-dependent vasodilation when compared to the participants in the neutral condition. This impairment in vasodilation suggests a negative impact on endothelial cell health and helps determine the cardiovascular function. While the anxiety recall task showed a trend towards decreased vasodilation, it did not reach statistical significance. Similarly, the sadness recall task did not show a significant effect on endothelial health.

These results illuminate the profound influence of provoked anger on cardiovascular well-being. The study suggests that brief episodes of anger can have immediate detrimental effects on endothelial cell function which could potentially contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease over time. This adds to a growing body of evidence that highlight the importance of managing negative emotions for heart health.

The implications of these findings enhance the understanding of the impact of on anger and stress on cardiovascular health. This study may pave the way for targeted interventions to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by identifying the mechanisms through which provoked anger affects endothelial cells.

Overall, this study provides strong evidence of the harmful effects of provoked anger on endothelial cell health and cardiovascular function. It highlights the importance of emotional well-being in maintaining heart health and calls for focus on the potential strategies for prevention and intervention.

Reference:

Shimbo, D., Cohen, M. T., McGoldrick, M., Ensari, I., Diaz, K. M., Fu, J., Duran, A. T., Zhao, S., Suls, J. M., Burg, M. M., & Chaplin, W. F. (2024). Translational Research of the Acute Effects of Negative Emotions on Vascular Endothelial Health: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Study. In Journal of the American Heart Association (Vol. 13, Issue 9). Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). https://doi.org/10.1161/jaha.123.032698