Abstract
Anger is commonly believed to be involved in the development of hypertension, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease (CHD), and sudden cardiac death. In contrast, a program of moderate, sustained aerobic exercise is thought to retard this development. The paradox is that both the expression of anger and aerobic exercise are both known to elicit enhanced sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and cardiovascular activity. Therefore, in the present chapter we shall review the evidence that anger/hostility and aerobic activity can modulate autonomic functions and/or cardiovascular disease. We shall also discuss some of the biobehavioral variables associated with anger and hostility that might contribute towards cardiovascular disorders and explore some of the variables associated with aerobic activity that might improve cardiovascular functioning and/or retard cardiovascular disease processes.