Personality type and coronary heart disease

Significant health damage caused by cardio-vascular diseases and in particular coronary heart disease creates serious problems for clinicians, public health providers and authorities. Identification of risk-factors has got utmost importance for effective and efficient prevention. In addition to "conventional" risk-factors number of psychosocial factors attracts growing attention. Especially when according to structural changes in society the role of social and psychological factors increased. As it's known that changes in economical relationships, reorganization of society according to social or other indicators induces or provokes stress and increases demands for adaptation abilities. Type A personality is one of such factors. A case-control study was carried out to assess the relationship between different psychosocial factors (personality type, psychosocial work environment, social support and socioeconomic status, including education) and coronary heart disease. The study results indicate that low socio-economic status and jobs characterized by low decision latitude, high job strain and low social support at work may be associated with an increased risk of acute coronary events. Though no significant correlation was revealed between type A personality and coronary heart disease rate.