TO RAGE OR NOT TO RAGE

Is it ever a good idea to get openly angry at work? The answer depends on who you ask.
Medical researchers say repressing "desk rage" could be hazardous to your health. Men who suppress anger at work are two to five times more likely to suffer a heart attack or die from heart disease than those who express it, says a study by Swedish researchers published in a recent issue of the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
Most at risk are workers who use "covert coping"—that is, refraining from confronting a co-worker who treats you unfairly, ignoring the situation or walking away instead. Researchers tracked 2,755 men with no history of heart problems from the early 1990s until 2003 and found those who used covert coping were far more likely by 2003 to have heart attacks or die from heart disease. The results were controlled for age, socioeconomic factors, job strain and biological risk factors. Workers who reacted by protesting directly, yelling or airing their grievances right away had significantly less heart trouble.
Career coaches would usually give different advice—to avoid blowups at work, rather than damage your career or important work relationships.
Readers:
"As someone who has worked with a couple of gentlemen who chose to vent at work, letting loose with expletive-laden tirades at subordinates, slamming fists on to tables, etc., I can only say "HOLD IT IN!!" … I don't want to work in an environment where people feel free to vent at will."
"I have on many occasions expressed anger at work, and it hasn't hurt my career…You don't have to yell, scream or throw things. … You can calmly and sternly tell a co-worker, "It is inappropriate for you to attempt to give my reports work without asking me" without throwing a tantrum. When you use your anger in that way people actually respect you."