Hostility is associated with reduced lung function in young adults, according to a report in the journal Health Psychology.

Previous work has demonstrated that hostility increases the risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and the overall risk of death, Dr Benita Jackson, a psychologist at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and her co-authors note. But little has been done to examine the link between hostility and lung function.

Jackson's team observed that the association of hostility with impaired lung function was still present after accounting for the influence of age and height, socioeconomic status, smoking status, and asthma.