Every day, it seems we see more anger and more division in our country and throughout the world. More people yelling instead of listening. Whether our disagreements are political, economic, social, racial, or religious, including the alarming rise in antisemitism and other forms of hatred, it feels as though simple kindness and civility are becoming harder to find.
As a heart surgeon, I spend my life caring for one of the most remarkable organs in the human body. While blocked arteries, valve disease, and heart failure bring patients to my operating room, there is another threat we often overlook: chronic anger.
Anger is not just an emotion. It creates physical stress on the body. It raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, and floods the bloodstream with stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Over time, these changes can contribute to heart attacks, strokes, abnormal heart rhythms, and other cardiovascular problems.
In many ways, chronic anger may be one of the most dangerous emotions we experience because it affects every beat of the heart.
There is another consequence that is equally important. Anger and hatred do not stay within us. They spread. They create fear, anxiety, and emotional pain for those who become their targets. Families suffer. Communities become divided. Emotional wounds often last long after the words have been spoken.
None of us will agree on everything. That has always been true. But we can choose how we treat one another. We can disagree without disrespecting. We can debate without demeaning. We can stand firmly for our beliefs while still recognizing the humanity of another person.
As physicians, we often say that prevention is the best medicine. Perhaps the same is true for our society.
A little more patience. A little more compassion. A little more listening. A little more kindness.
These things may not solve every problem, but they can lower the temperature around us, protect our emotional well-being, and perhaps even protect our hearts.
Please take care of your heart, and take care of other people’s hearts. Not just the one that beats inside your chest, but the one that guides how you treat others.
Because a healthier heart can help create a healthier world.
