Feisty, are you?

Angry? Go to your "happy place." This is mine.

It’s probably better if you learn to “chill out,” according to a study reported in the journal Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

An antagonistic personality may put you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease CVD).

Researchers for the U.S. National Institiute on Aging (NIA) looked at more than 5,600 Italians, ages 14 to 94.

Those who scored high on a personality test for “antagonistic traits” had greater thickness of the carotid (neck) arteries than those determined to be more “agreeable.”

This held true for women as well as men.

Thickened arterial walls are a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Three years after the study’s start, the subjects were examined again. Individuals determined to be manipulative and quick to get angry experienced a worsening of the condition. Their arterial walls had continued to thicken.

While arterial wall thickening often comes with age, younger people who are antagonistic may have a higher risk for CVD than their mellower peers.

So don’t think you can wait till you’re older to relax.

CVD is progressive. It doesn’t happen overnight.

My own ideas:

• Be conscious of those moments when your anger tends to build.
• Figure out a different reaction to the situation.
• Do some deep breathing before you explode.
• Be willing to walk away from the situation–or ignore it.  

I wouldn’t say I’m manipulative. But I do know I get irate when someone cuts me off on the highway–especially when they force me to “brake” suddenly to accommodate them. It’s a pet peeve. 

I’ve been  practicing keeping my anger under control. It makes for a much more pleasant ride.

Do YOU have any situations that push you “over the edge” or bring out the antagonistic side of you? Can you figure out an alternative solution to getting angry?