Too many negative personality traits in men can increase their odds of getting coronary heart disease, the leading cause for heart attacks.

Researchers at Duke University have found in a study published online in Psychosomatic Medicine, men who have strong negative personality traits such as anger, depression, hostility and anxiety could be hurting their heart health.

Participants in the study included 2105 war veterans with an average age of 47 years old with no history of heart disease. Most continued in the study for 15 years and were given scores based on their heart check ups and personality surveys to measure their risk.

In the article, 'Negative Personality May Hurt Heart' on Web MD, researcher Edward Suarez, PhD, a Duke University associate professor of psychiatry, says a mix of these traits is "the most powerful predictor of heart disease."



Suarez and colleagues are hoping to design a comprehensive intervention program to cut heart risk, they say prevention is a main finding from the study.

"We want to help people at earlier points in their life by teaching them ways to cope with problems and how to make wiser choices that promote health," says Suarez.

"By helping them before they ever show clinical signs of heart disease, we may be able to help them avoid the disease altogether," he adds.

Mimi Guarneri, MD, a practicing cardiologist and author of the new book, The Heart Speaks, refers to the "broken heart syndrome" or stress-induced heart failure often diagnosed by doctors, as examples of the heart's power and vulnerability.

Guarneri says, in another related WebMD article, The Heart Speaks (Are You Listening?), that she wants to start conversations as intervention to help people cope with stressful lifestyles and the damaging effects of emotions such as anger, anxiety and grief.

Researchers say they want to conduct a more extensive study one that includes women and diverse groups to see if the results apply to most people in general.

And don't worry, researchers say normal 'negative' emotions we all face from time to time do not put you at automatic risk for a heart attack. The key they say is awareness and talking about the stress in your life.

To check your heart health consult your doctor and remember to discuss emotional traits that you may find unmanageable. It could be the conversation that prevents you from having a heart attack in years to come.