Angry and aggressive people are at risk of suffering heart attack and stroke, researchers have warned.
A new study by the US National Institute on Ageing has analysed 5,614 Italians in four villages and found that those who scored high for antagonistic traits on a personality test had greater thickening of the neck arteries compared to people who were more agreeable.
Thickness of neck artery (carotid) walls is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke, the researchers say. Three years later, those who scored higher on antagonism or low agreeableness — especially those who were manipulative and quick to express anger — continued to have thickening of their artery walls. These traits also predicted greater progression of arterial thickening.
Those who scored in the bottom 10 per cent of agreeableness and were the most antagonistic had about a 40 per cent increased risk for elevated intima-media thickness, a measure of arterial wall thickness. The effect on artery walls was similar to having metabolic syndrome — a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the study found. “People who tend to be competitive and more willing to fight for their own self interest have thicker arterial walls, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” said lead researcher Angelina Sutin.