Effect of anger and trait forgiveness on cardiovascular risk in young adult females.

May RW, Sanchez-Gonzalez MA, Hawkins KA, Batchelor WB, Fincham FD

The American journal of cardiology · July 1, 2014

Trait anger (State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2) and trait forgiveness (TF) were evaluated in 308 healthy female volunteers. Hierarchical models demonstrated that anger was significantly associated with increased sympathovagal tone, increased hemodynamic indices, high ambulatory blood pressures, and attenuated blood pressure variability and baroreflex. In contrast, TF was associated with more favorable hemodynamic effects (i.e., decreased ventricular work and myocardial oxygen consumption). These results demonstrate divergent cardiovascular effects of anger and forgiveness, such that anger is associated with a more cardiotoxic autonomic and hemodynamic profile, whereas TF is associated with a more cardioprotective profile.

PMID: 24819901 · DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2014.04.007