Friends who are critical, unpredictable or unreliable may literally be hard on your heart, a study published recently suggests.
The study looked at the short-term cardiovascular effects of being with an “ambivalent” friend — someone with whom you have a love-hate sort of relationship.
Researchers found that merely being in the presence of such a friend tended to elevate study participants’ heart rate and generally put them “on edge.” Moreover, discussing a negative event with an ambivalent friend tended to send up people’s blood pressure. Ambivalent friends are the types who leave you uncertain about whether they’ll offer support or indifference, understanding or criticism.
These mixed emotions may make it difficult to relax around such a friend, and makes it especially hard to find comfort from him or her when something goes wrong, the new study suggests.
Many studies have found that support from family and friends can buffer people from the effects of stress. But ambivalent friends may not only fail to offer such support, but also be a source of stress themselves.
Probably the best thing we can do is spend as much time as possible with the positive people in our lives.
SOURCE: Annals of Behavioral Medicine, June 2007.
Through our work at Benzinger On Health, we have posted articles confirming the following:
- Bullying affects a child’s self-esteem.
- Verbal abuse in a home may have longer lasting ill affects than physical abuse.
- Arguing and being upset drives your immune system down making you susceptible to illnesses.
And now we know the company we keep may affect and or induce heart disease.
What can I say? Picking good supportive friends and make sure you are a good friend is a complement to both you and your heart health.
God bless,
Dr. Benzinger
