Hostility

Hostility, distraction affect women's CV recovery from anger recall differently

NewsRx.com - January 13, 2005

Hostility and distraction differentially affect women's cardiovascular recovery from anger recall, psychologists have learned.

S.A. Neumann and colleagues, University of Pittsburgh, "investigated the relation of dispositional hostility to cardiovascular reactivity during an anger-recall task and of hostility and distraction to post-task recovery in 80 healthy women (ages 18-30). Half were randomly assigned to distraction during recovery."

The researchers found that "hostility predicted slower systolic blood pressure and pre-ejection period during recovery. Distraction was related to faster cardiac recovery, higher high-frequency (HF) power, lower low-frequency (LF) power and LF:HF ratios, and lower state anger and rumination during recovery."

According to Neumann's group, "These results indicate deleterious influences of hostility on cardiovascular recovery but not during anger recall. The findings also show beneficial effects of distraction in expediting cardiovascular recovery, possibly through reducing rumination and anger."

Neumann and coauthors published their study in Health Psychology (Hostility and distraction have differential influences on cardiovascular recovery from anger recall in women. Health Psychol, 2004;23(6):631-640).

For additional information, contact S.A. Neumann, University of Pittsburgh, Dept. of Psychology, Behavioral Physiol Laboratory, 4015 O Hara St., 506 OEH, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.

Publisher contact information for the journal Health Psychology is: American Psychological Association, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA.

The information in this article comes under the subject areas of Hostility, Distraction, Anger, Cardiovascular Reactivity, Impedance Cardiography, Heart Rate Variability, Women's Health, Mental Health, and Cardiology. This article was prepared by Cardiovascular Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2005, Cardiovascular Week via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net.

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