Sense of being treated unfairly is bad for heart, new study says

LOS ANGELES TIMES
If you think life is unfair, you may just be right.
A new study finds that people who believed they were treated unfairly were more likely to suffer a heart attack or chest pain. Those who felt they experienced the worst injustice were 55 percent more likely to experience a coronary event than people who thought life was fair, according to the report published in today's Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
"Frequent experiences of unfair treatment can produce psychological distress that, in the long term, may influence health," said Roberto De Vogli, an epidemiologist at University College London, who led the study.
Nancy Krieger, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, said the study adds to a growing field of research linking poor cardiovascular and mental health to racial and gender discrimination -- two significant sources of unfair treatment.
People who feel they are victims of discrimination often respond by drinking, smoking or overeating. "If you do those things, those will have health consequences," she said.