New evidence suggests that practicing anger management can benefit more than just your interpersonal relationships. It could actually be good for your heart. 

According to medical research reported in The Wall Street Journal this week, you are 8.5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack following an angry outburst. The study, which was published in the European Heart Journal: Acute Cardiovascular Care, interviewed 300 heart attack patients about the 48 hours preceding their heart attack. Those who experienced intense anger were 8.5 times more likely to suffer a heart attack within two hours of their angry outburst than normal.  Other research in the report found that intense anger can lead to an irregular heartbeat or even a stroke. Over time, anger management problems may also cause issues with sleeping, emotional overeating and insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes. 

While intense anger was essential to survival for cave men, it has devastating effects on the heart health of modern man. The article quotes Redford Williams, director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Duke University Medical Center saying, “Anger is bad for just about everything we have going on physically,”

Part of the reason intense anger is so damaging is that it releases cortisol and adrenaline into the bloodstream. These hormones trigger a spike in blood pressure, heart rate and sugar metabolism that are meant to help with our fight-or-flight response. However, when no life-threatening situation actually exists, these hormones simply make the heart work harder than it needs to and can ultimately lead to damage to the heart and arteries.

To learn more, read the entire article.