Beware of doubling up in road rage fury or going ballistic at the office.

The latest research from Yale School of Medicine (YSM) warns that changes brought on by anger or other strong emotions trigger arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrests.

Arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms. They can cause the heart to pump less effectively.

The team led by Rachel Lampert, associate professor of medicine at YSM, studied 62 patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and enlarged hearts.

They were monitored three months after the ICD was implanted and then given a mental stress test requiring them to recall a stressful situation that angered them.

Lampert’s work builds on past research linking strong emotion to sudden cardiac death. It has been found that devastating disasters, such as earthquakes, are linked to sudden death.

The team found that those in the group with more anger-induced electrical instability were more likely to experience arrhythmias one year after the study than those in the control group.

"Further studies are needed to determine whether there is a role for therapies which may reduce anger and the body’s response to stress, thereby preventing arrhythmias in those at risk," said Lampert.