The Framingham Heart Study is one of the best studies we have of the major health factors associated with cardiovascular disease. The study started with over 5,000 participants from Framingham, Massachusetts. A substantial amount of health and lifestyle variables were collected about these participants throughout their lifetime. This has provided researchers with a rich collection of data about individuals who developed heart disease.
In addition to factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, researchers have also identified psychosocial factors related to heart disease. Stress, tension, and anger were significantly correlated with heart disease. Higher levels of each variable increased the risk of heart disease. Suppressed hostility was also a variable associated with heart disease. Individuals who discussed their anger and emotions in a healthy way (for instance, talking with friends) were at a lower risk for developing heart disease than individuals who bottled up their negative emotions. A more obvious variable, job work load, was also associated with heart disease.
More information about the Framingham Heart Study can be found here.
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