Medical studies are not needed to tell us that anger raises our blood pressure, causes our hearts and heads to pound, makes us sweat and shake, and can make us unreasonable.
Is the answer then to suppress our anger? Anger is an emotion that, when not contained and channeled, can be harmful to the body, especially the heart.
Should you hold anger in, or express it outwardly? Research suggests that either extreme puts you at risk for heart disease.
Anger is hard on your heart! So what is the answer? Try not to get angry in the first place (easier said than done). Failing that suggestion, you can develop your emotional intelligence, and get smart about it.
A study of how men coped with anger revealed that those who were rigid in the way they handle anger, either always holding it in, or always expressing it , had higher total cholesterol and higher bad LDL cholesterol levels than those who were more flexible.
The answer is to be flexible. Sometimes anger should be kept in, and sometimes expressed. If you always hold it in, or always express it, you may be damaging your heart. Practice makes perfect, and it starts with self-awareness.