Research highlights:
- When adults remember past experiences and get angry, the cells lining blood vessels can deteriorate and restrict blood flow. Previous research has shown that this may increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
- In this study, episodes of anxiety or sadness did not cause similar changes in the function of blood vessel linings.
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DALLAS, May 1, 2024 — Brief episodes of anger triggered by recalling past experiences can negatively impact the ability of blood vessels to relax, which is essential for proper blood flow, a study in today’s magazine shows. This is revealed in a new study published. American Heart Association Journalan open-access peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
Previous research It turns out that an impaired ability of blood vessels to relax can increase the risk of developing the disease. atherosclerosiswhich can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.
“Decreased vascular function is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke,” said study lead author Daichi Shinbo, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. “Observational studies have linked negative emotions to the development of heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. The most common negative emotion studied is anger, which is also associated with heart attack risk. There is very little research on anxiety and sadness.
In this study, researchers investigated whether negative emotions such as anger, sadness, and anxiety can negatively impact vascular function compared to neutral emotions. The 280 adults who participated in the study were randomly assigned to one of four emotional tasks for eight minutes. Recall personal memories of anxiety. Reading a series of depressing passages that evoke sadness. Or count to 100 repeatedly to induce an emotionally neutral state. The protocol, “Putative Mechanisms Underlying the Development of Myocardial Infarction and Emotions (PUME),” is described by the researchers as follows: previous paper.
The researchers assessed the cells in the blood vessel lining of each study participant at several time points before and after the task, looking for evidence of impaired vasodilation, increased cell damage, and/or reduced cell repair capacity. Ta. Measurements taken before the emotional task were repeated after task completion.
For each participant, measurements were taken at baseline (0 min) and at four different time points (3 min, 40 min, 70 min, and 100 min) after experiencing the assigned emotional task. The analysis revealed the following:
- A task that involved recalling past events that caused anger resulted in impaired vasodilation from 0 to 40 minutes after the task. The fault he was no longer present after 40 minutes.
- There were no statistically significant changes in the participants’ blood vessel lining at any time point after experiencing the emotional tasks of anxiety or sadness.
“We found that evoking a state of anger causes vascular dysfunction, but we don’t yet know what causes these changes,” Simbo said. “Investigating the underlying relationship between anger and vascular dysfunction may help identify effective targets of intervention for people at high risk for cardiovascular events.”
According to the American Heart Association’s 2021 Scientific Statement. Psychological health, well-being, and the mind-mind-body connectionmental health can have a positive or negative impact on a person’s health and risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
“This study adds to the growing evidence that mental health can influence cardiovascular health and that intense acute emotional states such as anger and stress can trigger cardiovascular events. ,” said Glenn Levine, MD, of the FAHA writing committee. Scientific Statement Chair, Clinician and Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, and Chief of Cardiology at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, both in Houston.
“For example, we know that intense sadness and similar emotions are common triggers for symptoms such as: Takatsubo cardiomyopathy, events such as earthquakes, or even watching a world soccer match as a fan can cause stress, which can lead to myocardial infarction and arrhythmia. This latest research very eloquently demonstrates how anger negatively impacts the health and function of the vascular endothelium, the lining of blood vessels, which is susceptible to myocardial ischemia and atherosclerotic heart disease. is known to play an important role. Although we do not yet understand all the mechanisms by which psychological state and health status influence cardiovascular health, this study clearly brings us one step closer to defining such mechanisms. ”
Research background and details:
- The Putative Mechanisms Underlying Myocardial Infarction Development and Emotions (PUME) study was a randomized controlled experimental study conducted from August 2013 to May 2017.
- Participants were recruited from the community surrounding Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.
- Participants were over 18 years old and in good health. In this study, healthy was defined as having no history of heart disease, stroke, bypass surgery or stents, transient ischemic attack, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or self-reported Defined as no diagnosis of mental illness. Health disorders. Not taking any prescription drugs or nutritional supplements. And now I don’t smoke.
- The average age of study participants was 26 years. Approximately 50% of participants identified themselves as women. Approximately 40% of participants identified themselves as white adults. 29% as Hispanic/Latino adults; 19% for Asian adults. and 14% are Black adults.
- Participants’ vascular health was assessed before and after completing the emotional task using a finger probe that detects changes in blood flow within the arteries.
- Before completing the emotional task, participants were instructed to sit in a comfortable chair in a temperature-controlled room and relax for 30 minutes, during which they were prohibited from talking, using a cell phone, reading documents, or sleeping. I did.
- After participants relaxed for 30 minutes, the researchers used a cuff to measure their blood pressure and corresponding heart rate. Two blood pressure measurements were taken one minute apart to measure dilation of the participants’ blood vessels, and a blood sample was taken for testing. Repeat blood pressure and diastolic measurements were taken, and blood samples were taken again after completing the assigned emotional task.
- The researchers determined the degree to which participants’ blood vessels were unable to expand by measuring blood flow in their non-dominant forearm. They assessed participants’ vascular damage by counting the number of circulating vascular lining biomarkers in the blood and the regenerative capacity of participants’ vascular cells by measuring circulating levels of bone marrow-derived cells essential for repair. evaluated. .
Limitations of the study include that the participants were young and apparently healthy, and it is unclear whether the results apply to older adults with other health conditions who are more likely to be taking medications. It’s unclear,” Simbo said. Furthermore, participants were observed in a medical setting rather than a real-world situation, and this study only assessed the short-term effects of the evoked emotions.
Co-authors, disclosure information, and funding sources are listed in the manuscript.
The study, published in the scientific journal of the American Heart Association, is peer-reviewed. The statements and conclusions in each manuscript are solely the opinions of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the Society. The Association makes no representations or warranties regarding its accuracy or reliability. The association is primarily funded by individuals. Foundations and corporations (including pharmaceuticals, device manufacturers, and other companies) also make contributions, which help fund specific programs and events for the association. The Society has strict policies in place to ensure that these relationships do not influence scientific content. Revenues from pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, device manufacturers, health insurance companies, and overall financial information for the association are available. here.
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