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Journalism of Courage
Men who do not openly express their anger at being treated unfairly at workplace are up to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack,a Swedish research has claimed.
The researchers,who looked at 2,755 male employees in Stockholm without having a heart stroke,said their study shows a strong relationship between pent-up anger and heart disease.
These workers were asked how they coped up with work related conflicts: whether they dealt with things head-on,whether they let things pass without saying anything,walked away from conflict,developed symptoms like headache or stomach ache or got into a bad temper at home.
These workers were also examined for smoking,drinking,physical activity,education,diabetes,job demands and their free choice to take decisions.
Their blood pressure,body mass index and cholesterol levels were measured and they were aged 41 on average at the start of the study between 1992 and 1995.
Details of whether any of the men subsequently had a heart attack or died as a result of heart disease in the period up to 2003 were gathered from national registers of hospital treatment and deaths.
The researchers from Stress Research Institute in Stockholm found that by 2003,47 of the 2,755 men had a heart attack or died from heart disease,The BBC reported.
The men who coped by sometimes walking away or who often let things pass without saying anything,had double the risk of a heart attack or dying from serious heart disease compared to men who challenged and dealt with the situation head-on,found the study which appeared in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
However,a headache or stomachache or even flying into rage at home did not augment the risk of heart disease.
According to researchers pent up anger can produce physiological tensions,which increases the blood pressure resulting in damage to the heart.
“There has been research before pointing in this direction but the surprise is that the association between pent-up anger and heart disease was such a strong one,” said Dr Constanze Leineweber,lead researcher form the Stress Research Institute in Stockholm.
“I think men can’t help how they behave in conflict situations – it’s not something they think about,it’s just how they react instinctively.
“If you are smoking and don’t exercise you would be much more conscious of the risk,” Leineweber said.
Judy O’Sullivan,senior cardiac nurse for the British Heart Foundation,said: “Stress itself is not a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease,but some people’s responses to stress,such as smoking or overeating,can increase your risk”.
“We all find different things stressful and symptoms of stress can vary,but the important thing is that we need to find ways of coping with it in our lives in a positive way,whether at work or home.
