A new study by the University of Tennessee has found that people who are more likely to display "hostile" personality traits - such as being sarcastic or cynical - are at a higher risk of heart complications. As reported by the <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200914194029.htm">Science Daily</a>, the US study tracked 2,321 heart attack survivors, who had all undergone a personality test prior to being monitored over the next 24 months. After the two-year observation was complete, the participants were survival rates were compared to the results of their personality score. <img class="size-large wp-image-12611053" src="https://img.vt.co/2020/09/f552fedd-screen-shot-2020-09-15-at-12.03.36-1024x630.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="630" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels]] Researchers soon discovered that those who were hostile toward others were more likely to suffer a repeat heart attack. In addition, these individuals were also less likely to take care of their own wellbeing - being more likely to smoke, drink, and have a poor diet. Publishing their study in the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing</a>, researchers concluded that a person's character could impact their heart - through both behavioral and psychological mechanisms. Study author Tracey Vitori stated that some of the "hostile" characteristics that were highlighted were sarcasm, cynicism, resentment, impatience or irritability. <img class="size-large wp-image-12611051" src="https://img.vt.co/2020/09/bdb5fb51-screen-shot-2020-09-15-at-12.01.40-1024x681.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="681" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels/CraigAdderley]] Yes, just when I thought 2020 couldn't get any worse, I'm informed my entire lifestyle is essentially a heart attack waiting to happen. "Hostile individuals have increased clotting times, higher adrenaline levels, above normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and increased cardiac reactivity," researchers stated. The added: "These known inflammatory factors may initiate cardiac events and increase poor clinical outcomes." <img class="size-large wp-image-12611054" src="https://img.vt.co/2020/09/d5658356-screen-shot-2020-09-15-at-12.04.58-1024x617.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="617" />[[imagecaption|| Credit: Pexels/CryptoCrow]] Vitori - an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Nursing - stated: "It's not just a one-off occurrence but characterizes how a person interacts with people. "We know that taking control of lifestyle habits improves the outlook for heart attack patients and our study suggests that improving hostile behaviors could also be a positive move." Per the <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-looking-at-measures-of-hostility-and-recurrence-of-disease-and-death-in-people-with-acute-coronary-syndrome/">Science Medical Center</a>, other experts have weighed in on the study's results. Professor Sian Harding from the Cardiac Pharmacology at Imperial College London,said: <blockquote>"[The findings] adds to a body of knowledge which links strong (mostly negative) emotion with cardiac death (often arrhythmic sudden cardiac death).  It is well powered and has a useful message for cardiac patients. "A surprisingly large proportion of the cardiac patients scored highly on the hostility score, which increases its relevance."</blockquote> Experts also found that those with a more positive outlook on life are more likely to exercise, drink less, and not smoke. A <a href="https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/10.2217/fca.09.15">previous study</a> published by Jeff C Huffman - an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School - stated: "Being happy can give you a healthy heart." The paper added that "people experiencing positive emotions have lower cortisol levels, and fewer blood pressure abnormalities and fibrinogen stress responses to a mental stress test, compared with those not feeling positive emotions." Huffman's article, titled '<a href="https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/pdf/10.2217/fca.09.15">Could being happy give you a healthy heart?</a>' also reinforced the findings that "being significantly unhappy – having the syndrome of clinical depression – is associated with negative cardiac outcomes."

Being sarcastic and cynical is bad for your heart, experts say

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