Anger is neither good nor bad. It is simply a human emotion. However, increasing evidence links anger to cardiovascular disease. Various studies have shown that anger may aggravate coronary artery disease and raise blood pressure. Chronic anger (called trait anger by medical specialists) contributes to long-term heart problems, and acute episodes of anger (i.e., a single outburst) have been linked to a slightly increased incidence of heart attack.

Though the relative risk of anger to your heart is small, there are strategies that can help people deal with their anger in a healthier way. It appears that the calm, direct expression of anger defuses many of its unhealthy characteristics.

Learning to deal with anger not only reduces the risk of heart disease, but it may help reduce the incidence of child abuse, domestic violence, road rage and other societal problems that are connected to rage.