As part of the VA Normative Aging Study, researchers followed 670 men aged 45 to 86 for eight years. They used the Cook Medley Hostility Scale to rate anger levels and tested lung function throughout the length of the study. The findings revealed that men with long-standing hostility and anger had significantly poorer lung function by the end of the study.

Previous research had shown that negative emotions and stress were related to heart disease, asthma and other illnesses, but this was the first to directly connect these feelings with respiratory decline. It is believed that stress, anger and hostility may change the biological processes in the body, which then leads to chronic inflammation and decreased functioning of the immune system.

To keep your lungs - and the rest of your body - as healthy as possible, it is important to learn how to release negative feelings. Journaling, meditation and yoga are all highly effective means of helping to maintain emotional well-being, so why not give them a try?