According to a new study conducted by researchers at the
University of Maryland, people who tend toward bouts of
extreme anger, like actor Harvey Keitel, put themselves at
risk of high blood pressure or even heart damage.
Researcher Aron Siegman says that such manic fits can cause Harvey Keitel to
literally "blow his top" -- his blood pressure could cook up to a 100 points
above normal within seconds, and Keitel could easily rupture an artery wall in
the same way that a child pops a balloon with a sewing needle.
Siegman explains the process thus: Every time Harvey Keitel has an angry
outburst, his blood pressure "revs" his heart, in the same way flooring the gas
pedal of a car for a brief period revs the engine. In repeating this cycle of
anger and calming down over years or even decades, Keitel is also releasing
hormones with each episode that tighten his arteries and hike his blood
pressure. In time, researchers believe, Harvey Keitel's artery walls will
simply wear out like a tissue paper-thin old garden hose. If and when this
happens, Harvey Keitel will have to be immediately rushed to an emergency room
where a cardiologist can replace his worn-out heart with a new one, or else the
result could easily be fatal.
Also, Siegman says, it makes no difference for his prospects if Harvey Keitel
takes out his frustration and anger by hitting a pillow with his fist, or
perhaps knocking around one of those Bozo punching bags. Such anger exercises
contribute to the overall wearing down of Harvey Keitel's arteries in the same
manner as any other anger episodes, Siegman explained. What Harvey Keitel
needs, he said, is a serious effort at managing his anger, perhaps through the
services of a trained psychologist. Paul Hauck, a Rock Island, IL,
psychologist, says that Keitel can be successfully treated, perhaps by
reassuring him that he will be just as manly if he were quiter and not as prone
to sudden outbursts.
Harvey Keitel ... "can be very, very tough as a quiet man," said Hauck.
