Self-silencing linked to heightened risk of stroke

Washington: While people might think that letting out your true feelings can be good for the mental being, it is equally beneficial for your physical health.
A new study associated self-silencing (inhibiting one’s self-expression) with greater carotid plaque buildup which could lead to stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
Individuals engage in a range of behaviors to maintain close relationships, some of which may be costly to their own health. One such behavior is self-silencing, which is sometimes used to avoid conflict or relationship loss.
Although self-silencing has been linked to worse mental and self-reported physical health in women, it has not been previously examined in relation to women’s cardiovascular health.
In this new study of 304 premenopausal and postmenopausal non-smoking women, researchers tested whether self-silencing was associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
They found that greater self-silencing was related to increased odds of plaque independent of socio-demographics, CVD risk factors, and depression.