Having frequent arguments with partners, friends or relatives would double or triple the risk of dying prematurely in middle age. This is what Dr Rikke Lund, of the University of Copenhagen (Denmark) has just written in a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology.
“We have also discovered that men are more vulnerable than women, especially men who do not work” explains the doctor, who cannot yet explain the reasons for this increased risk of death, except that the men angry people are also less likely to handle stress.
Arguments increase cortisol levels
For this study, the doctor and his team looked at data from a Danish unemployment and health study, which has followed 9,875 men and women aged 36 to 52 since 2000.
Previous research has shown that people with high levels of anxiety, or who frequently argue as a family, also have an increased risk of heart disease or stroke.
“In the face of stressors, such as an argument, cortisol levels rise dramatically, which also increases health risks,” insists Dr. Lund.
So don’t forget: the next time you feel like you’re going to go off your hinges, take an aspirin pill! A study has shown that this pain reliever has calming effects on anger.
