A new study shows that anger may be linked to sudden cardiac arrest.  Anger is literally bad for your heart.

Dr. Rachel Lampert, a Yale University cardiologist who led the study, gave EKGs to 62 patients who had defibrillators implanted in their chests because of preexisting heart disease. When they recounted something that had made them angry, some patients experienced beat-to-beat EKG alterations that were similar to irregular heartbeat-predicting alterations that doctors can spot during treadmill testing. [How heart handles anger predicts irregular beat, (Yahoo! News)]

The study, published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, showed that anger triggers electrical changes in the heart, which can predict future arrhythmias in some patients. Some arrhythmias may increase a person's risk of stroke or congestive heart problems. This study is relevant to people who have heart disease already, said Dr. Rachel Lampert. "Perhaps if we treat them with something like stress management or anger management, we may decrease the likelihood of arrhythmias." [Anger, stress may be linked to heart problems, (CNN)]

Other studies have also shown that if you ask patients about what happened before a heart attack, they'll most frequently say they were angry, said Dr. Charles Raison, psychiatrist and director of the Mind/Body Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. "It is just indisputable that negative emotionality -- especially anger and misery, depression -- are terrible for your heart," he said. Sudden cardiac arrest causes more than 400,000 deaths every year. [Anger, stress may be linked to heart problems, (CNN)]

The Mayo Clinic offers anger management tips to control your temper.