ABSTRACT
The coronary arteries provide oxygen for the heart muscle itself. Angina and myocardial infarction are the two main forms of coronary heart disease (CHD). Major factors are implicated in the etiology of CHD; these include elevated serum cholesterol, hypertension, inactivity, obesity, smoking, age, diabetes, and family history. A specific pattern of behavior that is highly relevant to the development of CHD is known as type A behavior. The anger and hostility components of the profile are now thought to be the most important in predicting the development of CHD. Changing behaviors associated with increased risk of CHD remains problematical whether the intervention is at the level of the individual or society at large. In one study, 83% of treated participants showed improvements in CHD risk factors compared with controls. High hostility scores are associated with increased risk of CHD, but the degree to which hostility is expressed is important and high ‘anger-out’ scores are more predictive.
