Behavioral clusters and coronary heart disease risk.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to empirically identify individuals who differed in their patterns of components derived from the structured interview (SI), and to evaluate whether individuals characterized by the different patterns varied in terms of their risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study represents a reanalysis of data from the Western Collaborative Group Study in which components of Type A were individually related to risk for CHD. Subgroups of individuals who differed in the patterns of their component scores were identified by means of cluster analytic techniques and were found to vary in their risk of CHD. As expected, a pattern of characteristics in which hostility was salient was found to be predictive of CHD. Moreover, another pattern of characteristics that appears to reflect pressured, controlling, socially dominant behavior in which hostility was not salient also was found to be predictive of CHD. Further, two patterns of characteristics were identified that were unrelated to CHD risk. Finally, two patterns of characteristics were identified that were related to reduced risk of CHD. Overall, these results suggest that future research should investigate variables in addition to hostility in regard to risk for and protection from CHD.

Aggressiveness, dominance, developmental factors, and serum cholesterol level in college males

“…The results for aggressiveness and cholesterol are congruent with those obtained by Dujovne and Houston (1991) and further support the notion that hostility-related variables may confer risk for CHD, at least for men. The results for dominance and cholesterol, in conjunction with the findings of studies relating dominance to various cardiovascular end points (Deary et al, 1994;Houston et al, 1992;Manuck et al, 1989;Smith et al, 1990), suggest that psychosocial variables in addition to hostility may confer risk for CHD, again at least for men.…”

“…Effortful attempts to exert dominance or social control have been found to be associated with enhanced cardiovascular reactivity (Smith et al, 1989;Smith et al, 1990) which has been hypothesized to contribute to hastening of CHD (Williams and Barefoot, 1988). Further, in a reanalysis of data derived from the SI and the 8.5-year follow-up of the Western Collaborative Group Study by Houston et al (1992), it was found that, independent of hostility, individuals were at increased risk for CHD who exhibited a group of verbal behaviors (viz., quick responses, interrupting the interviewer) that have been associated with social control or dominance in other research (Burger, 1992;Dembroski et al, 1984;Ferguson, 1977;Holleran, 1994;Linkey and Firestone, 1990).…”

Type A Eagerness-Energy Across Developmental Periods Predicts Adulthood Carotid Intima-Media Thickness

“…8 Findings of the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial especially undermined a confidence in an etiologic role of Type A behavior. 9 Studies published in the 1990's were few in number, and reported both positive 10,11 and negative findings. 12,13 In 1999, Hemingway and Marmot concluded in their clinical review that Type A behavior has a minor etiologic role in coronary heart disease among healthy adults, but no prognostic significance in patients with coronary heart disease.…”

The social psychophysiology of cardiovascular response: An introduction to the special issue

“…hostility [37], social isolation [38], and job stress [39]). Other promising risk factors supported by less comprehensive literature also have an explicitly interpersonal focus, such as social dominance (40)(41)(42). For some more recently identified risk factors, other research indicates that interpersonal factors might be important.…”