Men who outwardly express their anger on a regular basis have more than twice the risk of stroke compared with their more even-tempered peers. Only outwardly expressed anger increased the risk of stroke.

Alternative styles of anger expression -- such as holding anger in or controlling it -- did not appear to have any effect on stroke risk. A variety of possible mechanisms could underlie the link between anger and stroke, and the study could not determine the cause.

Stroke March 1999;30:523-528.

COMMENT: Anger is a very destructive force. I suspect the mechanism it causes harm has to do with release of adrenaline which is a potent oxidant. I am also certain it has some negative energetic effects. An error many people make is to deny that they are angry. That is not the solution.

The more effective alternative would be do some deep healing work that changes one from the inside out so one is not angry to begin with. Spiritual solutions are probably the most effective. Prayer and bible reading are particularly effective in this area.