Chapter 11
Anger Control and Cardiovascular Disease
Ari Haukkala,
Ari Haukkala
Search for more papers by this authorAri Haukkala,
Ari Haukkala
Search for more papers by this authorBook Editor(s):David I. Mostofsky,
David I. Mostofsky
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 28 March 2014
Summary
This chapter examines how anger and related concepts are linked to cardiovascular disease and the possible mechanisms of that relationship. It presents different anger concepts and uses the concept of anger control as an example of the emotion regulation model of anger. It also presents the association between anger and cardiovascular disease, with illustrations from prospective studies. The chapter examines how anger control approach may have implications for interventions to prevent negative effects of anger on cardiovascular health. The potential adverse effect of anger on cardiovascular health has been one of the earliest and most extensively examined topics in psychosomatic medicine. In the field of cardiovascular epidemiology, anger has been studied as a broad psychological construct that includes emotional and behavioral aspects as well as a cognitive aspect of hostility. The health behavior model suggests that anger is associated with unhealthy lifestyle factors that contribute to poor physical health.
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