DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — A recent study shows a burst of anger could lead to a heart attack.
Researchers from Columbia University, Yale University and St. John's University studied nearly 300 adults and found those who had to recall memories that made them angry during the study ended up with impaired cardio function. Bursts of anger caused the blood vessels of people in that group to dilate less — a hallmark of a whole host of cardiovascular issues, including the beginning signs of increased heart attack and stroke risk.
Dr. Nadal Aker is the director of cardiology services at Decatur Memorial Hospital. He wasn't involved in the study, but he said he can see where researchers could get those results.
"Sometimes people who already have hypertension get exposed to severe stress," he said. "If the blood pressure shoots up and hits a certain astronomical number, some people get a bleed in the brain."
The researchers behind study say they want to eventually look into the impact of chronic anger on heart health as well. To read more on the study, click here.
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