Psychic vulnerability and type-A behavior among young Danish male survivors of acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

The role of the type-A behavioral pattern (TABP) and psychic vulnerability (PV) as risk factors in coronary heart disease (CHD) was investigated in 54 male acute myocardial infarction survivors less than 55 years old and 77 age-matched healthy controls. No significant difference between patients and controls was found in TABP, as assessed by Jenkins Activity Survey. The frequency of PV was surprisingly high among both patients and controls, but with no difference between groups. However, patients responded positively significantly more often to questions concerning the frequent occurrence of headaches, unexplained rapid heart beat, faintness, or spells of complete exhaustion, unhappiness, a sense of bodily deterioration, depression, anger, extreme shyness or sensitivity, or preference for loneliness. TABP and PV were present simultaneously in 13% of both patients and controls. Twenty-three per cent of patients and 46% of controls exhibited neither PV nor TABP (p<0.01). It is concluded that psychic vulnera...