UCL in the News: People who feel wronged can really take it to heart

A new study found that people who thought they were treated unfairly were more likely to suffer a heart attack or chest pain.

Those who thought they had experienced the worst injustice were 55% more likely to experience a coronary event than people who thought life was fair. …

"Frequent experiences of unfair treatment can produce psychological distress that, in the long term, may influence health," said lead author Dr Roberto De Vogli [UCL Epidemiology & Public Health].

The study, one of the largest and longest of its kind, examined medical data from 6,081 British civil servants. …

Unlike previous studies, the subjects were questioned before they showed any signs of cardiovascular disease. That way, the results weren't skewed by people who thought life was unfair because they were already sick. …

The researchers found that the rate of cardiac events among civil servants who reported low levels of unfair treatment was 28% higher than for those who had no complaints. People who reported moderate unfairness saw their risk rise by 36%. …

Karen Kaplan, 'Los Angeles Times'