Dimensions of anger-hostility and cardiovascular reactivity in provoked and angered men

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between two dimensions of anger-hostility--the expression of anger-hostility and the experience of anger-hostility--and cardiovascular reactivity in provoked and angered men. A serial subtraction task was administered to 41 male undergraduates who were provoked and angered. A measure of the expression of anger-hostility correlated positively and significantly with systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) reactivity. There were no significant correlations between a measure of the experience of anger-hostility and cardiovascular reactivity. The two types of anger-hostility were also found to relate differentially to life-style variables that have been identified as risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), with only the expression of anger-hostility showing positive relationships with these life-style CHD risk factors. These findings are discussed within the context of a similar differential relationship between the two dimensions of anger-hostility and CAD and CHD. Finally, significant negative relationships were obtained between the experience of anger-hostility and resting BP and heart rate levels. These findings are discussed within the context of other data suggesting that trait anxiety-neuroticism may have protective properties.

Trait Aggression and Hostility in Recovered Alcoholics

“…Similar results have been reported in older adolescents with alcohol use disorders, who scored significantly higher on all BDHI measures of aggression as compared with healthy controls [25] , and in nonalcoholic adult descendants of alcoholic fathers who scored higher than those of nonalcoholic fathers on BDHI tests of guilt and resentment [26] . Factor analysis of the BDHI confirmed two-factor structures named aggression and hostility [27] , overt and covert aggression [28], or expressive and neurotic hostility [29] . We found no difference between the groups regarding physical and verbal aggression which represent 'overt aggression' or behavioral part of the BDHI [30] .…”

The Relation Between Anger Coping Strategies, Anger Mood and Somatic Complaints in Children and Adolescents

“…High levels of anger-in have also been related to coronary heart disease (Gallacher et al 1999). Other research reports associations between anger-out and two health risks; heart rate reactivity (Siegman et al 1992;Suarez and Williams 1990) and hypertension (Harburg et al 1991).…”

Monkeys, aggression, and the pathobiology of atherosclerosis

“…The Type A behavior pattern, defined as a style of coping with challenge and characterized by hostility, time urgency, and competitiveness, is perhaps the best-known psychosocial construct to be associated with increased risk of CHD and atherosclerosis. Research in human patients suggests that the hostility component of the Type A pattern and, more generally, a high "potential for anger-hostility" are particularly toxic with respect to CHD and CAA [Costa et al, 1989;Dembrowski and Costa, 1988;Siegman et al, 1987Siegman et al, , 1992. Further, within the angerhostility domain, it seems that the expression rather than the experience of these states contributes to the development of disease [Siegman et al, 1992].…”