Get angry a lot? Expect breathing ability to decline with age

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Get angry a lot? Expect breathing ability to decline with age

Published Tuesday, September 5, 2006

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Longstanding anger and hostility compromise lung function and hasten

the natural decline in lung power that is a normal part of aging,

reveals research published ahead of print in Thorax.

The authors base the findings on a study of 670 men, taking part in

the long term US Normative Aging Study. The ages ranged from 45 to

86, but the average age was 62.

The levels of hostility were measured in 1986, using a validated

scoring system. The average hostility score was around 18.5, but

ranged from 7 to 37.

After this initial assessment, the men were monitored for an average

of eight years, during which their lung function was measured on

three separate occasions.

The men's lung function at the start of the study varied according to

their initial levels of hostility.

It was significantly poorer among those men deemed to exhibit high

levels of anger and hostility compared with those who exhibited

medium to low levels.

But it was also worse at each examination throughout the period of

study.

Although the impact was lessened, the association held true even

after taking account of factors likely to influence the findings,

such as smoking and educational attainment.

Higher levels of hostility were also associated with a faster rate of

the natural decline in lung function that occurs with aging.

Each point increase in hostility score was associated with a loss of

FEV1 -- the volume of air that can be forced out of the lungs in one

second, and a measure of lung power -- of 9 ml a year compared with

men whose hostility levels were lower.

The authors point out that hostility and anger have been associated

with cardiovascular disease, death, and asthma, and that previous

research has suggested that changes in mood can have short term

effects on the lungs.

Anger and hostility will alter neurological and hormonal processes,

which in turn may disturb immune system activity, producing chronic

inflammation, suggest the authors.

An accompanying editorial comments that the physiological components

of anger and stress overlap, and stress is well known to affect the

immune system.

" Indeed it is hard to find a disease for which emotion or stress

plays absolutely no part in symptom severity, frequency, or intensity

of flare-ups, " writes Dr Lehrer of the University of Medicine

and Dentistry in New Jersey, USA.

Chronic anger may permanently alter the normal body responses to and

physical and psychological stressors, he suggests, and add to " wear

and tear. "

But he cautions that associations do not necessarily equate to

cause. " Personality, as well as physiology, can change over time, and

deterioration in health and physical function can lead to negative

emotion as well as vice versa, including for respiratory diseases. "