Keep your cool, heal faster

People who have trouble controlling their temper may take longer to heal from an injury, a new study finds. Ohio State University researchers in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity say cortisol, a hormone related to stress, seems to interfere with the healing process.

There is evidence that stress in general can make people more susceptible to illness and slower to get better. Studies have found that people caring for a loved one with dementia heal more slowly from small wounds, as do dental students about to take an exam.

Researchers found that those who expressed anger, if in a controlled fashion, and those who did not healed about as quickly. But hotheads were about four times as likely as other participants to take more than four days to heal.