LONDON: Attempting to “blow off steam” through vigorous exercise could triple the risk of a heart attack within an hour, experts say.
Being very upset or angry more than doubles the risk of a heart attack within an hour, while heavy physical exertion does the same, a worldwide study suggested.
But combining the two, such as using extreme exercise as a way of calming down, increases the risk even further.
The new research was published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.
The association was much stronger, just over triple the risk for patients who said they had been angry or emotionally upset while also engaging in heavy physical exertion.
Dr Andrew Smyth, lead author of the study from the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Canada, said: “Regular physical activity has many health benefits, including the prevention of heart disease, so we want that to continue.
“However, we would recommend that a person who is angry or upset, who wants to exercise to blow off steam, not go beyond their normal routine to extremes of activity.”
Dr Barry Jacobs, director of behavioural sciences at the Crozer-Keystone Family Medicine Residency Programme in Springfield, Pennsylvania, said: “This large, nearly worldwide study provides more evidence of the crucial link between mind and body." – The Independent