Did you know that emotional problems in childhood can alter our health in adulthood? Research suggests there is a link between heart disease in middle age and our emotional behaviour traits in children, more so in women.

Emotions and Heart Health study

The study looked at some 3,600 people who were tracked over a 30-year period starting from around the age of 25. Participants were put into three categories based on the level of difficulty they encountered while growing up, according to their answers to questions about abuse, neglect and the general atmosphere they experienced at home.

The study’s authors said that people exposed to the highest levels of adversity in their childhood family environment, were 50 percent more likely to have a heart disease event during the 30-year follow-up period.

Emotional honesty

It is generally accepted that women are more emotional than men and are therefore likely to be more emotionally honest than men. Although women generally are more open to discussing their issues than men, men are less likely to make a fuss about issues and will just get on with things.

Women tend to resolve their issues before they move on and it may be that which impacts their health. Therefore, if emotions have an impact on our health in general, putting ourselves under constant stress will alter more than just our immune system.

Although researchers have several theories, they haven’t been able to pinpoint the reason for the connection.

Source: https://www.heart.org