You want want to count to ten before blowing a gasket or getting red in the face. A new study shows the risk of heart attack or related symptoms, like chest pain, shortness of breath or sweating was five times higher in the two hours following an angry outburst, than at any other time.
The research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical also indicated the risk for stroke caused by a blocked artery in the brain was three and a half times higher. Also, the risk of a brain aneurysm increased.
The study author hopes the results help patients think about how they manage anger in their everyday lives.
However, researchers say the overall risk for people without other risk factors like smoking or high blood pressure is relatively small.