An association has been made between being angry or emotionally upset and the onset of heart attack symptoms within an hour – in fact, there is more than twice the risk.

This is according to new research from McMaster University, which has found that this is also true for heavy physical exertion during the 60 minutes before a first heart attack. And for those who were angry or emotional while engaging in heavy physical exertion, there is more than triple the risk of heart attack in the first hour.

Some 12,461 patients, aged 58 on average, made mention of various triggers in the hour before their heart attack, with the researchers saying that these appear to have independently increased the risk of heart attack beyond what is posed by risk factors like age, smoking, high blood pressure and obesity.

“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” said the lead author of the study Dr Andrew Smyth.

If you’re concerned about your health and want to work out what your heart age is, make use of the new online calculator just launched by the NHS. This can help people find out if they are at risk of a heart attack and how old they may be when this first happens. Guidance is also offered on how to make lifestyle changes to reduce the risks.

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