Anger more harmful than sadness to older adults’ health — Research

Anger may be more harmful to an older person’s physical health than sadness, a new research has revealed. The researchers say anger potentially increases inflammation associated with chronic illnesses like heart disease, arthritis and cancer. The lead author of the study published by the American Psychological Association APA), Barlow MA of Concordia University, said, as […]

Anger may be more harmful to an older person’s physical health than sadness, a new research has revealed.

The researchers say anger potentially increases inflammation associated with chronic illnesses like heart disease, arthritis and cancer.

The lead author of the study published by the American Psychological Association APA), Barlow MA of Concordia University, said, as most people aged they simply could not do the activities they once did, or they might experience loss of a spouse or a decline in their physical mobility and they could become angry.

Barlow said their study showed that anger could lead to the development of chronic illnesses, whereas sadness did not.

Barlow and her team examined whether anger and sadness contributed to inflammation, an immune response by the body to perceived threats such as infection or tissue damage.

Inflammation in general helps protect the body and assists in healing, but long-lasting inflammation can lead to chronic illnesses in old age.

The researchers collected and analysed data from 226 older adults aged 59 to 93 from Montreal. They grouped participants as being in early old age: 59 to 79 years, or advanced old age: 80 years and older.

Over one week, participants completed short questionnaires about how angry or sad they felt. The authors also measured inflammation from blood samples and asked participants if they had any age-related chronic illnesses.

Study co-author, Carsten Wrosch, stated that they found out that experiencing anger daily was related to higher levels of inflammation and chronic illnesses for people age 80 and older, but not for younger seniors, adding that sadness on the other hand was not related to inflammation or chronic illnesses.

The lead researcher, Barlow, also said sadness might help older seniors adjust to challenges such as age-related physical and cognitive declines because it could help them disengage from goals that were no longer attainable.

The study shows that not all negative emotions are inherently bad and can be beneficial under certain circumstances, she explained.

Barlow further said anger was an energising emotion that could help motivate people to pursue life goals, adding that younger seniors might be able to use anger as fuel to overcome life’s challenges and emerging age-related losses that could keep them healthier.