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Atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaques in the arteries that can
lead to a heart attack, progresses more quickly in people who express
a lot of anger and in those who have a weak social support system,
new research suggests.
Previous studies have linked anger, hostility and a weak social
support system to artery problems, but this is the first study to
examine the effects of these psychological factors on the progression
of atherosclerosis.
- Researchers followed 150 people with diseased arteries.
- At the start of the study and 2 years later, the participants
underwent angiography to measure the extent of atherosclerosis.
- They also filled out questionnaires that measured their levels
of social support, anger and hostility.
People who had reported high levels of expressed anger and low
levels of social support were significantly more likely to have
their atherosclerosis worsen during the study period
Journal of the American
College of Cardiology November 15, 2000; 36: 1781-1788
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