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January 2, 2008 | Issue 149 |
9 Basic Steps For Freeing Yourself From Anger
(They May Save Your Life)
During a dinner party that I, writer of this article, hosted last summer, an accounting professor friend launched into a rage, eyes bulging, veins in his temples throbbing, on the inadequacies of higher education.
HEALTH BENEFITS
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Throughout his 10-minute tirade, his wife glanced over at me, smiling apologetically and shrugging, as if to say, “This too shall pass.”
The problem is, chronic outbursts of anger, day after day, year after year, do not just “pass.” They can be lethal. A few weeks ago, Allen, my accountant friend, suffered his first heart attack. He was only 55 years old.
Heart disease
Chronic feelings of anger, accumulating research is finding, are closely linked with cardiovascular disease. The latest investigation studied 2,334 pre-hypertensive adult Americans over an eight-year period and found that men with anger-prone personalities were 71% more likely than their more relaxed peers to develop full-blown high blood pressure. And their risk of heart disease was nearly twice as high.*
Several recent studies have found, too, that the likely culprit raising coronary artery disease in some "Type A” personalities was not their hard-working nature, as previously thought. It was their angry and/or hostile temperaments.
Negative thoughts, negative actions
Exactly how anger and other stressful emotions harm the heart is a question of particular interest to researchers. Many believe that there are two likely pathways. One is behavioral. People who frequently get angry tend to adopt poor eating habits, smoke more, and are less likely to exercise – each of which can lead to heart problems. Hostile individuals are also less likely to build good social support or enjoy the lighter, more humorous side of life, two behaviors linked with enhanced wellness.
Fight or Flight Response
Anger and other negative emotions like hostility, resentment, anxiety, and worry can also harm the heart by triggering hormonal and other physiological changes in the body. Known as the “Fight or Flight Response,” these changes elevate our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, metabolism, and muscle tension, and release glucose to increase energy.
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Pritikin Perspective - Healthy Living Made Easier
Pritikin Perspective is a publication for Alumni of the Pritikin Longevity Center. It is dedicated to helping people make healthy changes in their lives. The articles in this publication should not be considered specific medical advice, as each individual circumstance is different. You are strongly encouraged to seek medical advice before beginning a program of diet and exercise.
Editor/Writer: Eugenia Killoran.
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