Anger can harm the health of the elderly

The loss of loved ones and the growing loneliness of the elderly can cause considerable damage in the lives as well as the health of the elderly, reported Daily mail. This question is very often overlooked and is not considered a serious problem.

Experts say that anger may be more damaging to health than sadness. Research has shown that anger increases inflammation, worsening heart disease, arthritis and cancer. A study conducted by Concordia University shows that it is as common and dangerous as other health problems, but is often largely ignored.

"As most people get older, they simply can not do the activities they used to do. They may also lose their spouse or lose their physical mobility and they may become angry, "said Meaghan A Barlow, MA, lead author of the book. study. "Our study showed that anger can lead to the development of chronic diseases, unlike sadness," she added.

The study published in "Psychology and Aging" examined whether anger and sadness led to inflammation. This is usually the body's immune response to threats such as infection. Although inflammation helps with healing, long-lasting inflammation can give rise to chronic diseases in the elderly, the authors said.

The research collected data from 226 participants aged 59 to 93 in Montreal. 59 to 79 years were classified as old age, and 80 years and older were classified in old age. During the study, participants answered questionnaires about their sadness or anger. As a result, the authors measured inflammation from participants' blood samples.

"We found that daily anger was linked to higher levels of inflammation and chronic disease in people over 80 years of age, but not in the youngest seniors," said Carsten Wrosch, co- author of the study, also from Concordia University. "The sadness, however, was not related to inflammation or chronic disease," he added.

This study has shown that negative emotions are not necessarily bad and may be beneficial in some circumstances.

"Anger is a stimulating emotion that can help people pursue their life goals," Barlow said. "Younger seniors may be able to use this anger as a fuel to overcome life's difficulties and the emerging losses associated with aging, and this can help them stay healthier. Anger becomes problematic for adults once they reach the age of 80, because it is at that time that many people experience irreversible losses and that some of the pleasures of the life become inaccessible, "he explained.

A therapy aimed at reducing anger would be beneficial for seniors because it would help them regulate their emotions. It offers them coping strategies to manage the changes related to aging.

"If we better understand what negative emotions are harmful, not harmful or even beneficial to the elderly, we can teach them how to deal with losses in a healthy way," Barlow said. "It could help them get rid of their anger," he added.

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