A brief convulsion of anger triggered by memories of the past can negatively affect the ability of blood vessels to relax, which is necessary for normal blood flow, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Previous research has shown that impairing the ability of blood vessels to relax can increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, which in turn amps up the risk of heart disease and stroke. The episodes of anxiety and sadness in this study did not cause the same changes in the functioning of the cells lining blood vessels.
Vascular dysfunction is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the lead study author Daichi Shimbo. The research has linked feeling negative emotions to heart attack or other cardiovascular disease. The most commonly studied negative emotion is anger, and there is less research on anxiety and sadness, which have also been linked to heart attack risk.
Photos are from open sources.
