b2u10_passage_1

Your Anger Can Kill You

[1] For well over 2,000 years the world's major religions have taught the virtues of a trusting heart. Now there is another reason to heed the human wisdom of the ages: scientific evidence indicates that those with trusting hearts will live longer, healthier lives.

[2] As a result of the work published in the US by two pioneering cardiologists, Meyer Friedman and Ray H. Rosenman, nearly every American is aware that Type A people are impatient and easily moved to hostility and anger. Many have come to believe that Type A's are at much higher risk of suffering a heart attack or dying of coronary disease than others.

[3] Just as the public was about to add Type A behavior to the list of cardiac risk factors—such as smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and lack of physical exercise—reports began to appear suggesting that the Type A story was not so simple.

[4] New studies failed to find an increased risk of heart attack in all Type A's. But recent research is clarifying and refining our understanding of the problem. The good news is that not all aspects of Type A behavior are equally toxic. Recent research shows that being in a hurry appears harmful only as it aggravates one's hostility.

[5] Now for the bad news : hostility and anger can be fatal. They not only raise the odds that you will develop coronary heart disease but may also increase your risk of suffering other life-threatening illnesses. If yours is a hostile heart, it is important that you learn to reduce your anger.

[6] The driving force behind hostility is a cynical mistrust of others. If we expect others to mistreat us, we are seldom disappointed. This generates anger and leads us to respond with aggression.

[7] The most characteristic attitude of a cynic is suspicion of the motives of people he doesn't know. Imagine you are waiting for an elevator and it stops two floors above for longer than usual. How inconsiderate! you think. If people want to carry on a conversation, why don't they get off the elevator so the rest of us can get where we're going! You have no way of knowing what is causing the delay. Yet, in a few seconds, you have drawn hostile conclusions about unseen people and their motives.

[8] Meanwhile, your cynical mistrust is triggering an outpouring of adrenalin and other stress hormones, with noticeable physical consequences. Your voice changes to a higher pitch. The rate and depth of your breathing increases. Your heart is beating faster and harder, and the muscles of your arms and legs tighten. You feel full of energy and ready for action.

[9] If you frequently experience these feelings, your anger quotient is too high, and you may be at increased risk of developing serious health problems. The cumulative effect of the hormones released during these anger episodes can add to the risk of coronary and other diseases.

[10] Over time, sadly, it becomes easier for the hostile heart to express anger. Do you often show your irritation to someone you just met? This can range from the mild (“I believe you have too many items in your basket for this express checkout lane ”) to the not-so-mild (“Hey, you can't go through this line with that many items!”).

[11] The first clue that your behavior in a situation is hostile can be gleaned from your answer to the question “What is my purpose in doing this?” If it is to punish the other person for what he has done, then you are guilty as charged.

[12] Is it possible to reduce your hostility, to become more trusting? Research on heart-attack prevention conducted by cardiologist Meyer Friedman's group is encouraging. He and his

colleagues recruited 1,013 heart-attack victims—nearly all Type A's—to participate in the study. Cardiologists counseled a group of the volunteers about their diet and exercise habits. Another group received the same counseling plus a program to reduce their Type A behavior.

[13] Assessments after 4.5 years showed that the group receiving both cardiac and behavioral counseling had decreased its dangerous Type A behavior by a substantial degree. Those in the comparison group had done so to only a limited extent.

[14] More important, there was a 45-percent reduction in the rates of mortality and recurrent heart problems among those who modified their behavior. It follows, then, that reducing anger should help prevent a first heart attack. ( 731 words)