Men with heart disease who explode with anger have six times the risk of stroke than men without heart disease, researchers found. It s important to find risk factors that are modifiable, and anger is one of those things that is potentially modifiable if people can recognize how they respond to anger-provoking situations. The third-leading cause of death in the country, strokes occur when oxygen is unable to reach the brain because an artery to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot. Stroke is the leading cause of permanent disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. The more commonly recognized risks of stroke including smoking, excessive drinking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Researchers are unsure about the react reason why anger can trigger a stroke.
It may be related to a blood clot being loosened during an angry outburst, or an increase in blood pressure. There also may be hormonal changes brought on by anger that relate to blood clots. Everson s study examined middle-aged men from eastern Finland, who are participants in an ongoing 15 year study of risk factors for heart disease. Researchers are now looking for connections between anger and stroke in middle-aged women, says Everson. Moderation is the key to managing one s anger, Everson says.