RCT: Acute impact of provoked anger on endothelial health in healthy adults – J Am Heart Assoc

This study explored the immediate effects of negative emotions on vascular endothelial health in a sample of 280 healthy adults. Participants were assigned to recall tasks that induced feelings of anger, anxiety, sadness, or a neutral emotional state, followed by assessments of endothelial health. The primary measure, endothelium-dependent vasodilation (reactive hyperemia index), significantly deteriorated in the anger group compared to the neutral condition (mean change: 0.20±0.67 vs. 0.50±0.60; P=0.007). Anxiety and sadness did not significantly affect this measure. Additionally, there were no significant changes in endothelial cell-derived microparticles or endothelial progenitor cells across all conditions. The findings indicate that short-term anger provocation can impair endothelial function, suggesting a specific pathway by which anger could increase cardiovascular disease risk.

Reference (link to free full-text):

Daichi Shimbo et al. (2024). Translational Research of the Acute Effects of Negative Emotions on Vascular Endothelial Health: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of the American Heart Association, 0:e032698. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.123.032698