Healthy living
Mind matters
Keep a cool head for a healthy heart
People who are prone to heated outbursts and intense feelings of anger and depression may be putting themselves at risk of developing heart disease, say scientists at Indiana University in the US
The study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine looked at over 300 healthy men and women aged 50-70, who underwent psychological tests and had samples of their blood taken.
The researchers were particularly interested in the levels of two immune system proteins, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. Both are markers of inflammation, which is the body’s response to injury or infection. Changes in these proteins are associated with a number of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.
The team found that the volunteers who suffered from depression and hostility had inflammatory protein levels associated with a higher risk of heart disease.
The results remained the same even when other factors such as smoking, age, obesity, race and alcohol use were taken into account.
Previous studies have found depression to be associated with raised levels of inflammatory proteins, however this is the first study look at the way in which depression and anger together affect heart health.
‘In our study, we looked at depression and hostility simultaneously, and we found that the relationship of these negative emotions to inflammatory markers is more complex and much stronger than depression or hostility individually,’ said Dr Jesse Stewart, lead author of the study. He also points out that depression and hostility tend to go hand in hand.
Dr Stewart argues that such psychological factors play as important a role in determining whether a person will go on to suffer from heart disease as traditional risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol.
‘We know from previous research that there is an association between depression, anger and ill health – including heart disease,’ says June Davison, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation.‘However as yet we don’t fully understand the mechanisms behind it. This latest research simply highlights again how important it is not to ignore depressive and hostile symptoms as they can have a major impact on our well-being including the health of our heart.’
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.