People are routinely reminded that it’s important to follow a healthy diet and to exercise regularly if they want to stay healthy. However, an equally important part of staying healthy involves one’s emotional well-being.
The American Heart Association recently cited data suggesting that people with an antagonistic disposition may be up to 40 percent more at risk for heart attacks, strokes and other related events. Specifically, people with this disposition tended to have more thickening of their neck arteries, potentially undermining their cardiac health.
The researchers noted that men tended to have more thickening in their artery walls, but added that women with an antagonistic demeanor faced a higher risk to their cardiac health as well.
“Whereas women with agreeable traits had much thinner arterial walls than men with agreeable traits, antagonism had a much stronger association with arterial thickness in women,” said researcher Angelina Sutin. The report added that this health risk exists when accounting for other hazards like smoking.
Because people with heart disease may have a shorter life expectancy and greater risk of hospitalization and high medical bills, it is a must for people who have a family history of heart problems to have the proper health insurance coverage.
