Healthy Living
Anger And Stroke Risk
By David Perlmutter, MD, FACN
Clinicians have long suspected that a relationship existed between individuals who expressed anger and stroke risk. Indeed, medical literature has long described the so-called "stroke-prone personality." A mechanism underlying this relationship would certainly not be too difficult to conceive of since the statistical link between anger outbursts and hypertension as well as heart disease have been well described.
Recently, at the American Heart Association’s 70th Scientific Session, Dr. Susan Everson, a researcher at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health stated, "Men who reported a high level of outward expression of anger - men who tended to have angry outbursts, had about twice the risk of stroke compared to men who controlled their tempers." In trying to unravel the mechanisms underpinning the relationship, Dr. Everson found that those individuals at higher risk for stroke tended to have more frequent experiences of anger with above average levels of job-related stress. Her studies also demonstrated that in anticipation of an exercise challenge, these stroke prone individuals had a more significant elevation of blood pressure.
But these results should not be taken to indicate that suppressing anger outbursts is necessarily good for health. As Dr. Everson stated, "People need to recognize what triggers their anger, and try to remove themselves from those situations….. Clinicians often encourage people to count to ten, or try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing."
These recommendations are important. While common knowledge recognizes important risk factors for strokes such as elevated cholesterol, cigarette smoking, obesity, family history, and coronary artery disease, an "explosive personality" should be added to the list. A variety of stress alleviation techniques can be employed including aerobic exercise, tai chi, deep breathing, meditation exercises, and even psychological counseling which may be beneficial in helping to identify as yet unrecognized sources of hostility and stress.