Angry women and heart disease

According to scientists at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, women who have what researchers call an "angry temperment" may be especially prone to heart disease. It seems the hot temper leads to high cholesterol levels. The study did find a noteable exception, however: the angry women who were physically fit avoided the bad cholesteral levels.

Interestingly, the type of anger pattern mattered too. Women whose anger was mainly in response to criticism did not suffer from high cholesterol levels.

It's unclear the role anger plays in heart disease. The researchers theorize that the anger emotion causes changes in the body.

Meanwhile, those hot-tempered women have an even greater reason to exercise!

April 20, 2002

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