Angry women are caused by genes

A new study by the University of Pittsburgh, USA, found that some genetic changes related to chemicals that control women's body moods make them hotter than others.

Indrani Halder and his colleagues asked 550 European women to complete two tests of anger. A set of 29 questions measuring aggressiveness in action, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. Participants rated sentences from a scale of 1 to 7 to see if it was their personality, including:

1. Every few minutes I could not control the need to poke someone
2. I got angry very quickly, but I missed it very quickly
3. I was so mad that I smashed furniture
4. Friends said that I was very controversial
5. Sometimes I feel I have been treated unfairly
6. I know my friends talk badly behind my back

(Photo: edyek.com) Halder also uses a hostile rating scale called Cook-Medley that includes 50 right and wrong questions to test the trend of expressing negative attitudes of participants.

The team also collected data from participants involved in genes that help the body produce serotonin, a brain chemical that controls emotions and moods. Previous research has shown that increased serotonin reduces aggression and anger in humans and animals.

Genetic testing will show that women have 0, 1 or 2 gene variants related to serotonin. Women with 1 or 2 gene variants will score lower on tests, which means there is a higher tendency for aggression and violence.

The results show that genes are the cause of women getting angry. The genetic test will also help to predict whether a woman is likely to have diseases related to anger, such as heart disease and hypertension.

MT