The brain controls bodily functions, and the mind exists within the brain,'' Solomon said. The concept there isn't of expressed anger, but unexpressed anger. Anger, turned inward, can lead to depression, which many studies show to be the most harmful emotion. Those who asserted themselves showed no significant change in body chemistry. A University of Michigan study found men who bottle up their emotions until they spill out in violent outbursts have twice the risk of stroke when compared to men who manage to keep their emotions on a more even keel.
Researchers plan a similar study on women, who express anger differently.
A recent Duke University study found that students with low hostility levels had about one-fourth the risk of coronary heart disease compared to students with high hostility scores. Dr. Bruce Raybin, a professor of pathology and psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, said it pays to think positively.