Anger doesn’t need fists to kill you.
Just 8 minutes of anger can impair your blood vessels for 40 minutes, triggering changes that may lead to stroke, heart attack, and irreversible damage.
Unlike sadness or anxiety, only anger hijacks your blood flow—and scientists are now connecting it to early-stage heart disease.
One historical figure predicted his anger would kill him. Minutes after being contradicted, he dropped dead.
🧵 THREAD
Just 8 minutes of anger can impair your blood vessels for 40 minutes, triggering changes that may lead to stroke, heart attack, and irreversible damage.
Unlike sadness or anxiety, only anger hijacks your blood flow—and scientists are now connecting it to early-stage heart disease.
One historical figure predicted his anger would kill him. Minutes after being contradicted, he dropped dead.
🧵 THREAD
John Hunter knew his anger might kill him. The renowned 18th-century surgeon once said his life was “in the hands of any rogue who chooses to annoy or tease me.” He was right to worry.
Hunter embodied the classic Type A personality. A driven man who labored long hours, he slept barely five hours each night. He was a highly successful and celebrated surgeon in his time. However, he was perpetually impatient and hostile, according to a historical study published in The American Journal of Cardiology. By age 45, chest pains signaled his temper was already taking a toll on his heart.
On Oct. 16, 1793, Hunter, though habitually punctual, arrived late to the hospital board meeting at St. George’s Hospital in London.
When a colleague contradicted him during the discussion, Hunter tried to restrain his emotions. He went into the next room, let out a deep groan, and dropped dead due to sudden cardiac arrest. He was 65.
Hunter embodied the classic Type A personality. A driven man who labored long hours, he slept barely five hours each night. He was a highly successful and celebrated surgeon in his time. However, he was perpetually impatient and hostile, according to a historical study published in The American Journal of Cardiology. By age 45, chest pains signaled his temper was already taking a toll on his heart.
On Oct. 16, 1793, Hunter, though habitually punctual, arrived late to the hospital board meeting at St. George’s Hospital in London.
When a colleague contradicted him during the discussion, Hunter tried to restrain his emotions. He went into the next room, let out a deep groan, and dropped dead due to sudden cardiac arrest. He was 65.
Heart Under Attack
Blood vessels remember every angry moment.
A study published in the May 2024 Journal of the American Heart Association revealed the devastating effects of anger on heart health.
The researchers found that even brief bursts of anger negatively impact blood vessels by delaying the relaxation of their innermost lining of cells, known as the endothelium. The contraction and relaxation of blood vessels are crucial for maintaining a healthy blood flow.
Blood vessels remember every angry moment.
A study published in the May 2024 Journal of the American Heart Association revealed the devastating effects of anger on heart health.
The researchers found that even brief bursts of anger negatively impact blood vessels by delaying the relaxation of their innermost lining of cells, known as the endothelium. The contraction and relaxation of blood vessels are crucial for maintaining a healthy blood flow.
The study participants were all healthy young adults randomized to four groups that induced anger, anxiety, sadness, or no emotion—a neutral group.
The first three groups were instructed to either recall personal memories that would evoke associated anger or anxiety or read descriptors that evoked a depressed mood. Meanwhile, the neutral group was asked to count from one to 100, ensuring that any observed physiological changes were due to the emotional experiences, rather than simply the act of speaking.
The results indicated that just eight minutes of recalling angry feelings diminished the blood vessels’ ability to dilate (relax) for up to 40 minutes. On the other hand, participants in the anxiety, sadness, and neutral groups did not show any significant blood vessel changes. The study suggests that repeated bursts of anger may have a long-term, cumulative impact on heart health by irreversibly damaging blood vessel function.
Previous research indicates that endothelial dysfunction is an early stage of atherosclerosis—a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries, leading to hardening and narrowing. This restricts blood flow and increases the risk of stroke or heart attack.
The first three groups were instructed to either recall personal memories that would evoke associated anger or anxiety or read descriptors that evoked a depressed mood. Meanwhile, the neutral group was asked to count from one to 100, ensuring that any observed physiological changes were due to the emotional experiences, rather than simply the act of speaking.
The results indicated that just eight minutes of recalling angry feelings diminished the blood vessels’ ability to dilate (relax) for up to 40 minutes. On the other hand, participants in the anxiety, sadness, and neutral groups did not show any significant blood vessel changes. The study suggests that repeated bursts of anger may have a long-term, cumulative impact on heart health by irreversibly damaging blood vessel function.
Previous research indicates that endothelial dysfunction is an early stage of atherosclerosis—a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries, leading to hardening and narrowing. This restricts blood flow and increases the risk of stroke or heart attack.
When Rage Hijacks Reason
The word anger, from the Old Norse “angr,” means “sorrow” or “grief.” Rage, the extreme expression of anger, meant “foolhardiness” or “insanity.” The ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca viewed anger as a type of madness—a fury that impairs rational capacities.
When anger takes hold, your brain’s alarm system—the amygdala—goes haywire while your prefrontal cortex—your rational thinking center—goes offline. Simultaneously, blood flow shifts away from areas responsible for decision-making and problem-solving.
An enraged person dramatically narrows their prospects of overcoming challenges as unrestrained anger overrides the rationality of the human brain, inhibiting ethical deliberation and promoting careless thinking and risk-taking.
Further, angry people ruminate over negative experiences, making them more prone to aggression. Research conducted over the years has confirmed that unregulated anger can directly influence moral judgment and reinforce selfishness or self-serving tendencies, prompting them to display aggression or seek harsher punishments and retributions for those with whom they are angry.
The damage extends beyond the angry person, harming those at whom the anger is vented.
The word anger, from the Old Norse “angr,” means “sorrow” or “grief.” Rage, the extreme expression of anger, meant “foolhardiness” or “insanity.” The ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca viewed anger as a type of madness—a fury that impairs rational capacities.
When anger takes hold, your brain’s alarm system—the amygdala—goes haywire while your prefrontal cortex—your rational thinking center—goes offline. Simultaneously, blood flow shifts away from areas responsible for decision-making and problem-solving.
An enraged person dramatically narrows their prospects of overcoming challenges as unrestrained anger overrides the rationality of the human brain, inhibiting ethical deliberation and promoting careless thinking and risk-taking.
Further, angry people ruminate over negative experiences, making them more prone to aggression. Research conducted over the years has confirmed that unregulated anger can directly influence moral judgment and reinforce selfishness or self-serving tendencies, prompting them to display aggression or seek harsher punishments and retributions for those with whom they are angry.
The damage extends beyond the angry person, harming those at whom the anger is vented.
Even “harmless” verbal anger can permanently alter children’s developing brains, creating neural pathway changes comparable to physical or sexual abuse.
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Anger Reframed: Liver on Fire
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a different lens on anger’s toll. In TCM theory, emotions and organs are intricately connected through the flow of vital energy called “qi” (pronounced chee).
Anger first targets the liver, considered the body’s “army general,” responsible for smooth energy flow throughout your system. TCM expert Jonathan Liu explains that chronic anger creates “liver qi stagnation,” eventually igniting “liver fire.”
When the liver is on “fire,” stagnated energy rises upward, leading to high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, and eye redness. In severe cases, it can trigger symptoms of stroke and migraine.
“The liver is usually the first victim of anger, but not last,” Liu told The Epoch Times.
As the liver is anatomically near the spleen, stomach, and gallbladder, stagnated liver qi can also impact their functions, disrupting digestion and leading to poor appetite and stomachache.
The gallbladder governs courage, judgment, and decision-making and is paired with the liver. Both organs need to be in harmony—otherwise, they negatively impact each other. A healthy gallbladder promotes a stable emotional state, and any imbalance can lead to bodily pain, digestion problems, and reflect issues related to anger and resentment.
According to the Chinese Five Elements theory, anger is related to the wood element. While wood exemplifies growth and change, it also represents inflexibility and rigidity, just like an unyielding tree that breaks under the force of the wind.
Both ancient and modern wisdom believe that the antidote to anger is to nurture kind thoughts and humility.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a different lens on anger’s toll. In TCM theory, emotions and organs are intricately connected through the flow of vital energy called “qi” (pronounced chee).
Anger first targets the liver, considered the body’s “army general,” responsible for smooth energy flow throughout your system. TCM expert Jonathan Liu explains that chronic anger creates “liver qi stagnation,” eventually igniting “liver fire.”
When the liver is on “fire,” stagnated energy rises upward, leading to high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, and eye redness. In severe cases, it can trigger symptoms of stroke and migraine.
“The liver is usually the first victim of anger, but not last,” Liu told The Epoch Times.
As the liver is anatomically near the spleen, stomach, and gallbladder, stagnated liver qi can also impact their functions, disrupting digestion and leading to poor appetite and stomachache.
The gallbladder governs courage, judgment, and decision-making and is paired with the liver. Both organs need to be in harmony—otherwise, they negatively impact each other. A healthy gallbladder promotes a stable emotional state, and any imbalance can lead to bodily pain, digestion problems, and reflect issues related to anger and resentment.
According to the Chinese Five Elements theory, anger is related to the wood element. While wood exemplifies growth and change, it also represents inflexibility and rigidity, just like an unyielding tree that breaks under the force of the wind.
Both ancient and modern wisdom believe that the antidote to anger is to nurture kind thoughts and humility.
Taming the Flames of Anger With Humility
Psychologist and researcher Elizabeth Summerell, who explores emotions such as anger and aggression, told The Epoch Times that anger is a negative emotion that typically occurs in response to perceived threats, provocations, or blocked goals.
In 2020, Summerell and her team investigated the impact of humility on anger and aggression.
Participants were instructed to think of and write for two minutes about a past event that made them experience humility. Then, anger was induced by having them read short descriptions of scenarios likely to evoke anger while driving, such as someone speeding up when you try to pass them, being slow at parking, or holding up traffic.
The results indicated that induced humility significantly reduced aggression compared to the neutral condition. Humility tamed their rage.
Previous studies have shown that humility increases with an increase in gratitude and awe. Positive emotions associated with gratitude, like empathy, make people less aggressive, just as humility evoked by awe reduces anger.
Psychologist and researcher Elizabeth Summerell, who explores emotions such as anger and aggression, told The Epoch Times that anger is a negative emotion that typically occurs in response to perceived threats, provocations, or blocked goals.
In 2020, Summerell and her team investigated the impact of humility on anger and aggression.
Participants were instructed to think of and write for two minutes about a past event that made them experience humility. Then, anger was induced by having them read short descriptions of scenarios likely to evoke anger while driving, such as someone speeding up when you try to pass them, being slow at parking, or holding up traffic.
The results indicated that induced humility significantly reduced aggression compared to the neutral condition. Humility tamed their rage.
Previous studies have shown that humility increases with an increase in gratitude and awe. Positive emotions associated with gratitude, like empathy, make people less aggressive, just as humility evoked by awe reduces anger.
While managing anger is a much-needed life skill, Summerell cautions that suppressing anger can have negative health consequences in the long term and may lead to passive-aggressive behavior or hostility.
Likewise, “venting” by engaging in aggressive behavior, like hitting a punching bag or breaking things in rage rooms, may strengthen the neural pathways associated with anger and aggressive behavior, she said. This may be partly because anger expression keeps the nervous system in the fight-or-flight mode, leading to an elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream.
Apart from cultivating humility, cognitive reappraisal is an effective anger regulation strategy, Summerell said. It involves changing how one thinks about and interprets anger-provoking situations—reframing or considering alternative interpretations. It helps one take a step back and view the provoking situation more objectively, from the perspective of a third person.
For instance, instead of seeing a colleague’s rude behavior as a personal attack, one might consider that the person is in a bad mood because of personal reasons. The technique guides people to identify and reappraise their negative thought patterns into positive ones.
Likewise, “venting” by engaging in aggressive behavior, like hitting a punching bag or breaking things in rage rooms, may strengthen the neural pathways associated with anger and aggressive behavior, she said. This may be partly because anger expression keeps the nervous system in the fight-or-flight mode, leading to an elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream.
Apart from cultivating humility, cognitive reappraisal is an effective anger regulation strategy, Summerell said. It involves changing how one thinks about and interprets anger-provoking situations—reframing or considering alternative interpretations. It helps one take a step back and view the provoking situation more objectively, from the perspective of a third person.
For instance, instead of seeing a colleague’s rude behavior as a personal attack, one might consider that the person is in a bad mood because of personal reasons. The technique guides people to identify and reappraise their negative thought patterns into positive ones.
Other mind-body practices, such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, breathing exercises, and mindfulness techniques, can facilitate the release of stress and manage negative emotions, thus paving the way to wellness.
Liu said that embracing a lifestyle of well-managed anger or no anger makes “the highest level of health care.”
Although this medical wisdom comes too late to help Hunter, the story of his demise shows that anger’s first victim is often the angry one.
Liu said that embracing a lifestyle of well-managed anger or no anger makes “the highest level of health care.”
Although this medical wisdom comes too late to help Hunter, the story of his demise shows that anger’s first victim is often the angry one.
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