Getting Angry May Hurt Your Heart

In a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers have found a connection between anger and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which is a condition where a person’s heart stops beating suddenly, preventing vital blood flow to the organs of the body. Most people that experience SCA die before they can get treatment, which is required within minutes of the occurrence. So, the results of this new study may lead to new ways to reduce the risk of heart problems caused by anger and stress, such as anger and stress management therapy, in turn reducing the number of SCA cases. For the study, researchers analyzed 62 people at risk of sudden cardiac arrest that had implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), which are small battery-powered devices that monitor heart rhythms and can pick up cardiac arrhythmias, or rhythm problems, emitting an electric shock to correct those problems. The researchers asked study participants to recall something that occurred in the past few weeks that angered or agitated them and to describe the event in detail. The heart’s electrical stability was monitored for each participant during their recall, which the researchers measured using T-wave alternans. What they found was that participants in the top 25 percent of electrical instability were 10 times more likely to experience a cardiac arrhythmia in the following 3 years compared to those who were more stable. Some doctors believe that this test may be even more helpful when used in addition to exercise-induced electrical stability tests.

Since this was a small-scale study using only 62 participants, additional studies will almost definitely be conducted evaluating the effects of anger and stress on current and future heart functions. A follow-up study conducted by the same researchers as the original study looked at whether or not stress management lowered the risk of arrhythmias in participants with ICDs. In addition to behavioral management for people with high levels of stress and anger, doctors may also prescribe medications to patients at high risk of cardiac arrhythmias. The Mayo Clinic also offers tips to deal with anger in a more constructive way and figure out what causes a person to become angry so they can learn to avoid and deal with those triggers. Sudden cardiac arrest and other heart related problems are serious and should be treated by a doctor immediately to avoid permanent injury or death. If you or a loved one has experienced a delay in diagnosis or treatment of a serious heart problem, please contact the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. We serve clients with Brooklyn medical malpractice, Bronx medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpratice, Queens medical malpracitce and Long Island medical malpractice cases. We also serve clients located in Staten Island and Westchester County.

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