Anger types: heritability and relation to blood pressure, body mass index, and left ventricular mass

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2008 Sep;10(9):700-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-7176.2008.00011.x.

Abstract

The relationship between anger and cardiovascular morbidity has not been investigated among Mexican Americans. This exploratory study examined the heritability of anger types and their relationship to cardiovascular variables in samples of unrelated and related Mexican Americans residing near Chicago, Illinois. All of the anger variables of the Spielberger Anger Expression Scale (in, out, control, total expression) had significant heritabilities. Using the total sample of related individuals, higher female anger-out scores were associated with greater left ventricular mass after correction for height to the 2.7 power (LVM/HT2.7), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Females had positive, significant associations for body mass index with LVM/HT2.7, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure; among males, these variables were similarly but less strongly related. Anger (coraje in Spanish) is discussed in the context of folk medicine as a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anger / classification*
  • Blood Pressure / physiology*
  • Body Mass Index*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / ethnology*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology
  • Echocardiography
  • Female
  • Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging*
  • Humans
  • Illinois / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Mexican Americans*
  • Morbidity / trends
  • Risk Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index