Anger and Hostility Cause Lung Disorders

A new research shows that angry men are more likely to have poor lung function and develop pulmonary disorders than their happier and calmer counterparts. Researchers at the Harvard Medical School investigated the long-term emotional states of 670 male military veterans from the US Veterans Administration Normative Aging Study. The volunteers in the research had ages ranging from 45 to 86.

The findings of the study showed that the angrier the men were, the poorer their lung function and the more rapid the decline of their pulmonary capacity. Researchers stated that anger and hostility are emotional disorders which come to affect neurological and hormonal processes which, in turn, can lead to the inflammation of some organs and systems in our body, including the lungs and the pulmonary system.

"The men with higher levels of hostility had lower lung function at this baseline point in 1986, but they also showed a more rapid rate of decline over time," noted leader of the study Dr. Rosalind Wright of Harvard Medical School.

Taking into account the fact that previous studies have also confirmed that psychological and emotional disorders may cause biological disorders, researchers involved in the study advise people to be more careful about their affective life. "Healthcare providers should be aware that your emotional state can play a role in lung health over time. It could change the way we think about screening for risk factors and could inform different types of interventions - such as cognitive behavioral therapy," stated Dr. Wright.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a psychological type of therapy based on the principle that we can control the exterior factors (like everyday life events that could have a negative influence upon us) through positive thoughts and an optimistic view of life. In this way, thoughts become the media through which exterior stimuli and emotions can be balanced. This can be obtained because psychologists show us that it is not the stimulus itself that influences us, but the way in which we consciously evaluate the stimulus and turn it into emotions.