REDUCING YOUR RISK OF CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE: THE CONCEPT OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL OR PERSONALITY COMPONENT TO HEART DISEASE

The concept of a psychological or personality component to heart disease was advanced in 1964 when two researchers, Dr. Meyer Friedman and Dr. Ray Rosenman, developed the concept of a “type A” personality. Type A people always seem to be in a hurry. They are competitive, strive intensely for achievement, and need to be productive. In many ways, these are positive characteristic in a society that emphasizes accomplishments. But type A people also are impatient, over-committed to their work, and easily provoked to hostility. They tend to have few interests outside their work. In contrast, people with type B personalities, although interested in achievement, in most instances are relaxed, unhurried, and more easily satisfied with their pace. Some researchers suggest, on the basis of one large study, that type A people have up to twice the risk of type B people for coronary artery disease.Research also indicates that your social situation, and your response to it can affect your risk of disease. Stable social relationships seem to be associated with good health. Lack of social contacts or too many stressful ‘life events,” such as divorce, death ( family member or close friend, los change of job, or moving to a r home, may potentially increase risk of heart disease.Dr. Robert Eliot proposed the concept that certain people are “hot reactors,” which means that their bodies respond dramatically to stress. Hot reactors exhibit extreme increases in-heart rate and blood pressure in response to the everyday stresses of life. According to this theory, these surges may gradually damage the coronary arteries and heart itself.*274\252\8*

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