In this article, Dr. Puja Uppal, Family Medicine, shares her expert insights of the findings and provides Iowa residents with evidence-based recommendations for protecting their health.
Why This Matters to You
New research reveals a direct link between frequent anger and an increased risk of heart disease.
What This Means for Your Health
“The need for effective anger management becomes even more important!” Dr. Puja Uppal, Family Medicine
Doctor’s Expert Insights About Anger and Your Heart Health in Black Hawk County, Iowa
Know this: “So, look, the findings of this study underscore the critical nature of emotional health in managing cardiovascular risk. Anger, by impairing vascular function, contributes directly to the pathways that can lead to serious heart conditions.
Literally, anger can lead to a cascade of events that can lead to an increasing risks of heart disease. You don’t want that! Basically, anger can impair endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV). This means, that anger starts a mechanism that ulimately makes it harder for your blood vessels to expand properly. Over time this can cause heart disease.
Many people may not know that yoga, along with exercise, deep breathing, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can be effective in helping individuals manage frequent anger. And, this could potentially reduce the risk of heart disease.
It’s not just about feeling better emotionally. It’s also about safeguarding your heart to ensure a healthier, longer life. Managing anger is not just good for the mind but essential for heart health. Incorporating holistic wellness practices into your daily routines can improve cardiovascular and emotional health.” Dr. Puja Uppal, Family Medicine.
Actionable Steps: What You Can Do Next
If you are a senior citizen living in Black Hawk County, you may be eligible for the Silver Sneakers program. This program offers two main benefits:
- Online classes: You can participate in a variety of online fitness classes designed specifically for seniors, which you can access from the comfort of your own home.
- Gym membership: Alternatively, you can opt for a free or discounted gym membership at participating fitness centers in your area. This helps in you staying and improves heart and mental health. (Visit Here).
- Further steps: If you find that anger is affecting your health or well-being, it’s important to discuss this with your healthcare provider. Your doctor can offer several resources to help you better manage anger and other intense emotions.
Health News Today: A new study suggests that anger may play a role in the development of heart disease by damaging the function of blood vessel cells.
The Science Made Simple: Key Findings and What They Mean for Black Hawk County Residents
Anger makes blood vessels less flexible
The study found that when people were made to feel angry, their blood vessels didn’t expand as well as they should have. This effect was seen 40 minutes after the anger was triggered and suggests that anger can quickly damage the health of cells lining the blood vessels.
Anxiety and Sadness Have Less Impact on Blood Vessels
Unlike anger, when people were made to feel anxious or sad, their blood vessels still expanded normally. This means that the negative impact on blood vessel health may be specific to anger.
Blood Pressure Changes
Anger and anxiety increase blood pressure. Compared to the neutral group, people who were made to feel angry or anxious had higher blood pressure. Interestingly though, those people who were made to feel sad did not have a significant change in blood pressure.
No Heart Rate Changes
The study found no significant changes in heart rate when people were made to feel angry, anxious, or sad compared to the neutral group.
Potential Mechanisms
Although the exact ways anger affects blood vessel flexibility are unknown–the authors suggest several possible explanations. These include increased activity of the nervous system, stress hormone imbalances, reduced availability of a substance that helps blood vessels relax, increased inflammation, and higher levels of a protein that narrows blood vessels.
Medical News Today: What This Means for Your Health in Black Hawk County, Iowa
The Bottom Line: Anger can quickly damage the health of your blood vessels. And this may increase your risk of developing heart disease over time. This study emphasizes the importance of managing anger effectively to protect your cardiovascular health.
If you’re a person who gets angry all the time, you’re having chronic injuries to your blood vessels… (i)t’s these chronic injuries over time that may eventually cause irreversible effects on vascular health and eventually increase your heart disease risk.” Daichi Shimbo, MD. (Study Editorial)
What They’re Saying: “The underlying biological pathways by which anger impairs EDV (endothelium- dependent vasodilation) are unknown. A common paradigm found in the literature is that the biological consequences of stress are primarily explained by activation of the autonomic nervous system. Indeed, sympathetic nervous system activation is associated with an impairment in EDV.47, 48 Other potential pathways include a dysregulated hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, impaired nitric oxide bioavailability, oxidative stress, increased arterial inflammation from enhanced bone marrow activity, and increased endothelin‐1, which are each associated with psychological stress and contribute to endothelium‐dependent vascular impairment. 15, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53” (Study Source)
Health Standard Newswire: Getting angry often can damage the health of your blood vessels, making them less able to expand properly. This can put you at a higher risk for serious heart problems, such as heart attacks or strokes.
Health Facts That Matter: Key Statistics for Black Hawk County, Iowa
The following health facts impact your physical health directly!
Did you know there were 7704 deaths from heart disease in Iowa in 2021?
17.9% of you in Black Hawk County are smokers.
23.5% of you in Black Hawk County are binge drinkers.
5.7% of you in Black Hawk County have coronary artery disease.
All of these variables above play an important role in the outcomes of your overall health.
The Health Standard Newswire.